The two Berlin trainees Kimberly Häring (19) and Jonathan Dreier (23) take care of reception, service and housekeeping Photo: Charles Yunck
By Pia Fredebeul
Here, trainees are in charge! In Germany’s first “trainee hotel” in Berlin-Mitte, 13 young employees are their own bosses in the house for six weeks.
The serious background: fewer and fewer young people in Germany are starting training. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of trainees is “at a historically low level”. The catering, craft and hotel industries in particular are suffering from a lack of young talent.
The trainee hotel near the Spittelmarkt Photo: Charles Yunck
In order to prevent the shortage of skilled workers in the hotel industry, a unique project started in Berlin on Monday: The “Trainee Hotel”! The Munich hotel group Living Hotels is letting 13 trainees from all over Germany take over their hotel in Berlin-Mitte for six weeks.
The young people are in charge and have to take care of all tasks in the daily hotel operations.
Sophia Pfundstein (32) project manager and training manager from Munich: “We want to offer the project every year” Photo: Charles Yunck
The aim of the project is to give the trainees an insight into the real world of work. “You should be allowed to make specific mistakes, try things out and grow from them,” says Sophia Pfundstein (32), project manager and training manager at Living Hotels. “With the project we want to show that you can do and try out an incredible number of great things during hotel training.”
Aleksander Tsankov (26) from Teltow: “I am head of the housekeeping department at the trainee hotel. I’m looking forward to taking on more responsibility.” Photo: Charles Yunck
In an emergency, the trainees receive support from hotel director Klaus Pfeiffer: “Trainees often have puppy protection and then, at the end of their training, they suddenly find themselves with the entire responsibility of being a skilled worker. That’s why it’s important to prepare them for this early on.“
The participants are also accompanied by other trainers who give them workshops and valuable tips. The project will initially run for six weeks.
Tram Dinh (22) from Lichtenberg: “I hope that the project will enable me to learn a lot from the others” Photo: Charles Yunck
Afterwards, an assessment is made: what went well, what went badly, and where the concept can be improved. Because planning for the next trainee hotel in 2024 is already underway.
The trainees are also given free rein when it comes to checking in national and international guests Photo: Charles Yunck