Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam – June 22nd, 2018 – Institut Européen de Cooperation et de Development (IECD) and Thu Duc College of Technology (TDC) have announced the opening of “La boulangerie Française – HCMC”, a school of Bakery and Pastry for disadvantage young adults with the presence of his Excellency the French Ambassador to Viet Nam and of the Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City.
About the “LA BOULANGERIE FRANÇAISE”
Building on the success of LA BOULANGERIE FRANÇAISE in Hue and on the good results it has achieved for nearly 20 years, IECD decide to expand the project in Ho Chi Minh City with a similar model, in partnership with TDC.
Students of La boulangerie Française – HCMC
The project is designed for Vietnamese young adults aged 18-23 years-old, recruited on economic and social criteria, began an intensive training of 16 to 20 months in bakery and pastry at the highest standard of qualification; they also benefit from English and life skills lessons throughout their apprenticeship. TDC provides the students with accommodation (within its dormitories), and IECD covers for the tuition, food, and healthcare. A monthly participation fee of 150.000 VND is requested from the students; however, it can be partially or totally waived in some specific situations.
Meaning of project “LA BOULANGERIE FRANÇAISE”
LA BOULANGERIE FRANÇAISE aims to enable its students to become highly-skilled, responsible adults, socially well-integrated and capable of becoming agents of their own development. The goal is to allow them to create a better future not only for themselves, but also for their families and communities.
“This school will offer a bright professional future to disadvantaged youth, in particular to young women. Bakery did not come about by chance. As a sector, It’s a true springboard, especially for people who have not had access to higher studies. In fact, parallel to their technicity, trainings to bakery careers require humility, dedication and motivation, which are sought-after qualities in the professional world” – speech of H.E Bertrand Lortholary, French Ambassador to Vietnam. Besides, He also said “Beyond the cultural product, this project has adopted the French model of vocational training leading to a diploma. My wish is that it will inspire other projects and believe this is one of IECD’s ambitions”.
H.E Bertrand Lortholary, French Ambassador to Vietnam and the guests
To ensure its economic sustainability LA BOULANGERIE FRANÇAISE will operate as a social enterprise and, thanks to the sale of products made by apprentices, it aims to finance itself at more than 90%.
We glad to send a big congratulations to the LA BOULANGERIE FRANÇAISE and hope that this project must be more and more successful in the future.