Validation of Acquired Experience
VAE Hospitality , Food Service, and Tourism
Gain access to professional certifications issued by the Dordogne Chamber of Commerce and Industry through the Validation of Acquired Experience (VAE) program. This recognition of your experience, knowledge, and skills can serve as a new springboard for your professional career.
What is VAE in the hospitality, tourism, and restaurant industries?
The Recognition of Prior Learning is a program that allows professionals to convert their on-the-job experience into a degree without having to go back to school.
For young people who have started out in the hotel business straight from school, it's an opportunity to validate several years of practical apprenticeship with a diploma. For professionals who have chosen to retrain in the hospitality industry, it's a way of finalizing and formalizing the skills they've acquired professionally.
The VAE allows individuals to earn a vocational qualification and also to acquire one or more skill sets covered by these vocational certifications.
Who is the VAE intended for?
The France VAE program is open to individuals with skills related to the targeted certification. Anyone can have their experience recognized, regardless of age, nationality, status, or level of education.
The certifications offered through the VAE program are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Starting with the application phase, we encourage applicants to disclose their disability to our designated representative.
Earn a professional certification through the VAE
Two different professional certifications are available through the VAE program:
RNCP38785 Certification for “ Department Manager in Hospitality, Tourism, and Food Service ,” Level 6, equivalent to a three-year post-secondary degree.
RNCP41315 Certification for “ Manager in the Hotel, Tourism, and Restaurant Industries ,” Level 7, equivalent to a master’s degree.
Apply for the VAE program
The VAE process is a pathway to obtaining a qualification that begins with the preparation of a feasibility report and ends with the issuance of a professional certification.
Law No. 2022-1598 of December 21, 2022, on emergency measures relating to the functioning of the labor market with a view to full employment, expanded access to VAE by streamlining the steps in the process, notably through the creation of a single digital platform:France VAE.
Cost of the VAE
Regardless of the level of certification sought, the application fee is 150 euros and the examination fee is 1,000 euros.
Funding the VAE Process
The candidate may mobilize:
His or her rights under the Personal Training Account (CPF)
Possible contributions depending on the individual’s situation:
- Their employer
- OPCO
- The Region
- France Travail (if they are a job seeker)
- AssociationTransitions Pro (for private-sector employees, subject to the conditions set forth in the regulations)
VAE Statistics & Success Rates
Satisfaction rates, drop-out rates, discontinuation rates, job placement rates... Find out all the useful statistics on this program.
View statisticsUseful Resources on VAE
For general information on the VAE framework and funding, visit the official VAE portal:
France VAE: the public service for VAEand the resources from Cap Métiers Nouvelle-Aquitaine:
VAE in Nouvelle-Aquitaine