.png)
Building sustainable collective catering through RestaCoVE
We are proud to be part of RestaCoVE, a European project dedicated to strengthening vocational education and training for sustainable collective catering and restaurants. For T.H.E. Management, this partnership connects two priorities that belong together: preparing people for the demands of food service and helping organisations turn sustainability goals into everyday practice.
A meal served in a school, hospital, university or workplace depends on decisions made long before lunchtime. Purchasing, menu planning, food safety, kitchen workflows and staff preparation all shape what reaches the diner. Improving that service requires people who can understand these connections and act on them.
A partnership built around the people delivering food services
RestaCoVE stands for VET Excellence Pathways for Sustainable Collective Catering and Restaurants. Co-funded by the European Union through Erasmus+, under the Centres of Vocational Excellence action, it began on 1 April 2026 and has a planned duration of 48 months, through March 2030. The project is coordinated by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and brings together 18 organisations from Italy, Greece, Slovakia, Romania, Türkiye and Malta.
The partnership includes vocational education providers, universities, businesses, regional authorities and sector representatives.
What RestaCoVE aims to develop
The project has three connected objectives: develop a European model of vocational excellence in sustainable catering; strengthen cooperation between education, enterprises, academia and communities; and improve the governance, strategic planning and financial sustainability of the training systems supporting the sector.
Its planned outputs include 18 micro-credentials linked to professional qualifications across European Qualifications Framework levels 3 to 7. These focused learning pathways are intended to complement existing qualifications for roles such as cooks, chefs, kitchen assistants, nutritionists and food technologists.
RestaCoVE also plans to develop online learning materials, a Virtual Learning Factory for Sustainable Collective Catering, resources for trainers, work-based learning practices and tools for employers to assess sustainability skills.
Our contribution to the partnership
As a Romanian consultancy and operational company serving the HoReCa sector, T.H.E. Management brings a perspective grounded in service design, management, communication and team development. Our interest is in how a good idea becomes a reliable part of the working day: who makes the decision, what skills they need, and how the organisation supports them.
These responsibilities connect closely with our behavioural analysis and evaluation perspective: clear information, useful learning and credible assessment are essential to informed decisions.
What this means for the sector
For employers, the project offers a route to contribute to discussions about the skills their services need. For educators, it creates opportunities to work with businesses on learning that reflects professional practice. For learners and workers, it aims to make specialised sustainability skills more accessible and easier to demonstrate.
We look forward to bringing the Romanian hospitality perspective into this shared European effort. Follow T.H.E. Management’s Insights section for further articles on RestaCoVE and the practical questions behind sustainable catering. If you work in food service or vocational education, we welcome a conversation about the skills and challenges that matter in your setting.
Comments