- Title: 'There's a future': Macron incites youth into a culinary career at Lyon visit
- Date: 27th September 2021
- Summary: LYON, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 27, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, ARRIVING AT INTERNATIONAL CATERING, HOTEL AND FOOD TRADE FAIR, GREETING CHEFS AND OTHER ATTENDEES MACRON WEARING MASK MACRON SURROUNDED BY FAIR ATTENDEES CHEF ASKING MACRON (French): "We can feel the impact of the lack of manpower (in restaurant business), with the economic recovery plan that's ahead of us. My question is how can you help us with this lack of manpower?" (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "Of course in gastronomy, there is no unemployment, and there will not be unemployment in the sector in the coming years. And so if you (the youth) want to be sure for your children, be sure for yourself, too, to not be unemployed, then this is the job you can work in with your eyes closed, because there is a future in it. You should get into it, you have to say this again and again." ATTENDEES APPLAUDING, MACRON AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "What strikes me is that your generation is looking for meaning. Your jobs pose the big questions of our time - the question of food, since we see that more and more, people want to know what they eat, they have understood that we are what we eat. People want to strive to find a meaning for the planet - how can we continue living, feed more and more individuals while protecting our primary resources, our water, our land, our planet. Your jobs are actors of this transformation." VARIOUS OF CHEFS FAIR ATTENDEES AND MACRON VARIOUS OF MACRON WALKING AT FAIR, GREETING AND SHAKING HANDS WITH PEOPLE VARIOUS OF MACRON SPEAKING WITH CHEF DURING VISIT
- Embargoed: 11th October 2021 11:40
- Keywords: Bocuse France Macron culinary employment gastronomy institute restaurants youth
- Location: LYON, FRANCE
- City: LYON, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Europe,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EWHWJLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday (September 27) tried to woo young jobseekers into engaging in a culinary career, as restaurants face a lack in manpower amid the country's COVID-19 crisis.
French restaurateurs, who faced months of lockdown closure since the start of the COVID crisis, have been struggling to find applicants for vacant jobs, especially youth who have been discouraged by the sector's fragile nature in the face of the pandemic, as France continues on its path to economic recovery.
Speaking during a visit of the International Catering, Hotel and Food Trade Fair, Macron was optimistic.
"There will not be unemployment in the sector in the coming years," Macron said as a message to youth. "This is the job you can engage in with your eyes closed, because there is a future in it."
Macron asaid culinary jobs are ones with "meaning" in terms of finding solutions to the time's biggest problems, such as protecting the environment.
To help ease the burden on restaurants, Macron also announced during the visit that the government plans to push for a bill that will prevent tips from being subject to taxation.
(Production: Cecile Mantovani, Ardee Napolitano) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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