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If you are an interior crew member based in the Mediterranean and are looking to brush up on your skills, taking a short course at one of these schools might be the answer. There are so many areas of interior that require experience to master, and learning from those with more time in the industry than you is always a great way to perfect your skills, but that might not always be possible when you are onboard an active yacht. This is where interior training courses come in.
From Floristry and service training to Cigar workshops, there are a plethora of courses that will enrich your CV and help you to stand out from an ocean of candidates when applying for a job onboard a superyacht. Here is our roundup of some of the best interior training schools in the Med and the courses that they offer…
VIP Service School – Palma De Mallorca
VIP Service School has the GUEST training program as its foundation for all courses. The GUEST Program is the 7 star standard of training required as the minimum level for those working in the interior department of a Super Yacht.
The school offers bespoke workshops and specialist courses such as Advanced Professional Silver Service, Purser Training and even Art Management For Yachts, Estates And Private Residences. Their Workshops include Floristry, Table Decoration and Latte Art.
Based in the centre of the popular yachting hub of Palma, close to the ports of Club De Mar and STP, VIP Service School has an excellent reputation, particularly for their WSET Level 1 Wine course, taught by Helen Brotherton of Fine Wine Works.
You can find a full list of their courses here.
Barcelona Crew Academy – Marina Port Vell
Based in Marina Port Vell, Barcelona, Barcelona Crew Academy offers some excellent interior courses to stewardesses. The school also follows the G.U.E.S.T. Program and is IAMI credited (International Association of Maritime Institutions). Amongst the packages offered are Junior Stewardess Guest 1, Senior Stewardess Guest 2 and Chief Stewardess Guest 3.
The school also offers to arrange local accommodation, with a discount for students. To discover more visit their website.
Seascope France – Antibes
Seascope France, an Antibes-based yacht crew training school, offers a range of STCW, RYA and yacht interior courses including a GUEST/IAMI approved Yacht Steward/ess introductory course. The latter covers all the basics that ‘greenies’ are expected to know when applying for their first interior job: basic housekeeping and laundry, wine and mixology, food, and beverage services.
The highlight of Seascope’s course is that a lot of the training is practical and some is carried out directly onboard, including a live lunch on the last day of the course. Topped with the classroom module of the Introduction to Yachting and Yachting Life, such course arrangements not only give students hands-on experience in the yacht interior department, but also boost their confidence as junior stews.
Company Director Sophie Sevier stated:
“Our school’s training course is unique in that the students get the opportunity to do some of the practical training onboard a Superyacht, including a live lunch where the students are required to welcome guests onboard and serve beverages and food, practicing the skills they acquired during the week”.
To see their full range of interior courses and other yachting courses, visit the Seascope website.
KDW Training – Antibes
Set up by ex-Chief Stewardess Kim Woodey, KDW offer their courses online, ashore and onboard. Shoreside courses include Food Hygiene Level 2, Advanced Service Training, Chief Stewardess/Senior Stewardess course and Yacht Administration amongst others. All courses are IAMI and G.U.E.S.T credited, though KDW also offer workshops on Flower Arranging and Table Decoration.
Woodey states that:
“There is something incredibly rewarding about helping my students grow and find their confidence. Creating the opportunity for them to fine-tune their skills and seeing them realise that they are able to do so much more than they thought they initially could. It’s these lightbulb moments that form part of the best reason for doing what I love on a daily basis.”
Take a look at their full range of courses and workshops here.
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