Launched as part of France 2030, the ALIMCARE project is a training program designed to develop the skills of professionals and teachers in the catering, food, health and medico-social sectors in the field of sustainable, health-promoting food. It focuses in particular on the role of food in the prevention and management of chronic diseases.
The 5-year project is being carried out by a consortium of 4 organizations:
- UniLaSalle, Project leader
- Campus de Métiers et Qualifications d’excellence Autonomie, Longévité, santé
- Campus de Métiers et Qualifications d’excellence Tourisme et Innovation
- Union des Métiers et des Industries de l’Hôtellerie Hauts-de-France
HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE FOOD: A PRIORITY FOR THE FRANCE 2030 INVESTMENT PLAN
Developing innovative technologies and supporting the ecological transition by investing massively in 10 priority areas - this is the ambition of the France 2030 investment plan, launched by Emmanuel Macron in autumn 2021.
Among these ten priorities is investment in healthy, sustainable and traceable food; an ambition that will accelerate the agricultural and food revolution on which France is a leading country.
It is against this backdrop that the French National Research Agency (ANR) and the Caisse des Dépôts et des Consignations have published a call for expressions of interest in "Skills and professions of the future", designed to anticipate and help meet employment and skills needs.
The ALIMCARE project, led by UniLaSalle with its 3 partners (CMQeTI, CMQeALS and UMIH), is one of the 70 new winning projects in the 2nd wave of this call for expressions of interest, under the "Sustainable and healthy food" priority axis.
Operation supported by the French government within the framework of the AMI "Compétences et Métiers d'Avenir" of the France 2030 Program operated by Caisse des Dépôts.
CHRONIC DISEASES: A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE
Changes in lifestyles and eating habits are at the root of a massive increase in chronic illnesses, including cancers, metabolic disorders (diabetes, obesity), cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases and more. According to the DREES report on the state of health of the French population, the Hauts-de-France region is the French region most affected by these pathologies, with an aggravating factor linked to eating habits. Food plays a vital role, and it is essential to eat better in order to grow, live and age well. From catering for the general population as a tool for preventing chronic disease, to catering for the elderly and the sick as a continuum of care, it's a whole sector that needs to work to improve health through food.
The ALIMCARE project aims to enhance the skills of professionals and teachers in the fields of catering, health and personal care, at home or in a facility, by improving knowledge and practices on :
- healthy, sustainable eating to prevent chronic disease in the general population
- food adapted to the needs of frail people (living at home or in facilities) for better management of chronic illnesses
- while preserving the flavors and pleasure of eating.
Its actions
TRAINING
The ALIMCARE project will see the introduction of new training courses (initial and continuing), from levels 3 to 7. Over the next 5 years, more than 2,000 new hours will be created thanks to the ALIMCARE project. Training courses will be rolled out over the 5-year period.
Initial training
UniLaSalle has opened its in-depth engineering course on health catering management in September 2023, and other initial training courses will open in September 2024.
The CMQe will be working on diploma colorations and initial training courses from levels 4 to 6 for openings from September 2024.
Continuing education
More than 60 new continuing education programs will be created by 2027 (first programs open in September 2024)
- Modules on healthy, sustainable, health-promoting food, for catering managers welcoming the general public wishing to eat more healthily, or for a public needing to be sensitized
- Modules on adapted, personalized and sustainable food for establishments catering to the public with specific dietary needs requiring adaptation of the food offer, healthcare hotels and supportive care offers, human services coordinators ensuring home support, etc...)
AWARENESS-RAISING INITIATIVES
At the cutting edge of innovation thanks to the sharing of results from translational research, we'll be raising awareness among professionals and the general public of the challenges of sustainable, health-promoting food through professional symposia, hands-on workshops, interactive digital workshops and the creation of audio-visual content.
PLACES FOR INNOVATION
The ALIMCARE project benefits from substantial financial support to develop demonstration and experimentation facilities, namely :
- A HealthLab, a center for translational studies supported by UniLaSalle, innovative in its transdisciplinary and global approach to the links between diet and people's state of health. The HealthLab will feature individualized patient reception areas equipped with digital tools, a multimodal communal area, a center for adapted activities and care, a multimedia film set linked to an educational culinary platform, and a connected tasting room for evaluating behavior and sensory perception as a function of product appearance, quality of accompaniment and catering environment (UniLaSalle);
- Fixed and mobile CMQe demonstration and experimentation sites to support training initiatives, workshops and communication campaigns.
COMMUNICATION INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE THE IMAGE AND APPEAL OF THESE PROFESSIONS
The 4 members of the consortium are also committed to promoting the sustainable, health-promoting food industry and, complementarily, the catering and personal care professions, as well as their attractiveness.
Numerous communication initiatives and demonstration events will take place throughout the project, including a major evening event each year to showcase the skills and expertise of the Hauts-de-France region. Publications for the general public and for professionals will complete the program.
Stakeholders
As a leader in the AlimCare program, UniLaSalle is designing a new generation of Grande Ecole that combines life, earth, environmental and energy sciences with industrial sciences and digital technologies.
For over 20 years, UniLaSalle has been deploying its expertise in food and health through a 5-year engineering program on its Beauvais campus and a research unit, Transformations & Agroressources, focused on the study of the entire agro-resource transformation chain, from the mechanisms of their construction to the study of their food properties and functionalities, and thus their impact on health.
Innovative for its time, the Food & Health engineering program has trained a generation of professionals specializing in health education, the development and promotion of the health benefits of food products, and the control of the sanitary and nutritional quality of food products.
Convinced that solutions to human and planetary challenges lie at the crossroads of science, UniLaSalle's strength lies in its interdisciplinarity and its broad spectrum of training courses, from bachelor's to doctorate.
As a member of the worldwide La Salle Universities network, UniLaSalle has been pursuing its educational project for 170 years: revealing the potential of each individual. It is based on a relationship of trust and a rich student experience, founded on a collective pedagogy that encourages action for the common good.
UniLaSalle is committed to building a more humane, fairer and more sustainable world together, through its research serving companies, industries and regions, and through its training courses.
The Campus des Métiers et des Qualifications d'excellence Autonomie Longévité Santé Hauts-de-France (CMQe ALS) covers the entire Hauts-de-France region. It brings together 22 high schools offering courses from CAP to BTS, IFSIs (nursing care training institutes), IFASs (nursing assistant training institutes), and member universities, representing a total of 11,000 learners. One of the Campus's main aims is to promote jobs that are particularly in demand in the health and social sectors, by creating and running innovative schemes (escape games, use of virtual reality). One of the challenges of the CMQe ALS is to collaborate with economic and institutional partners to respond to the needs of professionals and anticipate the evolution of the support professions, whether in terms of home automation or food for health.
To this end, the CMQe ALS participates in the development of the Contrat de Plan Régional de Développement des Formations et de l'Orientation Professionnelles (CPRDFOP).
The Campus de Métiers et Qualifications d'excellence Tourisme et Innovation Hauts-de-France (CMQeTI) is a network of establishments that train 15,000 learners, including 7,500 apprentices, in the tourism, hotel, catering and food sectors. Certified and inaugurated in 2017, the Campus ensures the networking of training players from secondary and higher education, serving the skills needs of the local and regional economic fabric.
The CMQeTI participates in the development of the Contrat de Plan Régional de Développement des Formations et de l'Orientation Professionnelles (CPRDFOP). Offering more than 50 training courses, the CMQeTI helps young people to develop their skills, whether in initial training under school conditions or in apprenticeships, as well as employees and jobseekers in continuing vocational training.
The Union of hotel trades and industry (UMIH (Union des Métiers des Industries de l'Hôtellerie), which was formed from the merger of several employers' organizations, represents, defends and promotes independent professionals in the hotel, restaurant, bar, café, brasserie, nightlife and seasonal industries, in all regions and departments of France. UMIH's main mission is to inform and support its members in developing their business. UMIH teams are able to advise member establishments on employment and training issues, as well as communications.
On this project, UMIH is an active member of the consortium, contributing its expertise through consultancy and the provision of professional members for their expertise.
