SHL trains hospitality personalities ready to take on customer needs

With ample focus on hands-on training besides academics,  students normally land middle-management positions after graduation.

When British families started to travel for leisure during the early years of tourism, they were captivated by the breathtaking landscape of Lucerne, Switzerland. To accommodate their needs in the city that most people consider to be the cradle of modern tourism, SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern was founded. A school dedicated to helping young people build their careers in hospitality, SHL has not left its original focus on practical-oriented education since its establishment in 1909.

“Our institution is known in Switzerland and around the world for developing hands-on skills among students,” says Christa Augsburger, director of SHL. “They are not only academically trained but are really ready to work even before they graduate as they have already accumulated a lot of job experience while studying. This is something other institutions do not have.”

While other hospitality schools prioritize studies before work, SHL runs the students’ academic programs in parallel with their career development. In the first year, the students learn about gastronomy, food and beverages, starting with a semester on campus, followed by a paid internship in Switzerland or overseas. The second year has the same structure, with the focus, however, being on rooms division operations. The final two years of the program cover the management aspect of running a business and all strategic elements associated with that. With the help of alumni and global industry affiliates, SHL has more internship opportunities than the number of its students. As a result, SHL graduates normally end up in at least middle-management positions as soon as they complete their programs.

SHL also offers customer service training courses for luxury brands, hospitals and banks as well as for countries that aspire to develop their tourism industries.

“We want to show young people how fascinating our sector is as hotels are normally located in the midst of a beautiful city or landscape,” Augsburger says. “If students are passionate, ready and open to working for customers, they have a lot of opportunities to build a wonderful career in the hospitality industry.”

Learn more about SHL Schweizerische Hotelfachschule Luzern at shl.ch.