Many gathered at the Joy restaurant to applaud the nine graduates of the 15^thpromotion of the FPE/FCIL "Hotel Concierge" course at the Lycée des métiers de l'hôtellerie et du tourisme d'Occitanie. Parents, teachers, course supervisors and Clefs d'Or concierges all turned out to honour the "Julien Huel" class.

The Covid-19 pandemic had prevented the course from running smoothly for two consecutive years. Thanks to the impetus of the Union Nationale des Concierges d'Hôtels, the Clefs d'Or France, a partner in the certification scheme, and that of its president Dimitri Ruiz, this new class will be able to start in September 2023. Le Journal des Palaces was able to meet him ahead of the ceremony, where he shared his pride in welcoming them to Fouquet's, of which he is the head concierge: "I'm very honoured and it's a pleasure to welcome them to my home, to be able to show them our hotel, even more so when the sponsor of this year's class was Julien Huel, director of hotels and restaurants for the Barrière group, of which Fouquet's is a part".

The FPE "Hotel Concierge" course is an official certification from the French Ministry of Education, entirely free of charge, and will initially take place in Toulouse, at the Lycée des métiers de l'hôtellerie. The courses are taught by specialised teachers, as well as by Clefs d'Or concierge instructors, combining theory with practical examples. During the year, the students were also able to travel to Paris, Bordeaux and the Côte d'Azur, as part of "Éductours", to "meet the tourism professionals with whom [they work]: restaurants, shows, museums and the various things related to our profession".

Secondly, from January onwards, the apprentice concierges were asked to apply what they had learned at the hotel school, through two nine-week work placements. These practical periods are essential to the training, as Dimitri Ruiz points out: "We have the opportunity to have young people who have learnt the culture of the profession, and who are already trained before they even start their professional career, so they are better integrated into our properties. Because they already have knowledge, they already have reflexes linked to the professions, and above all to give them the opportunity to enter the job market, because they have met other caretakers, and perhaps follow on in the properties in which they have done their placement".

So there were nine students at the start of the course, and nine graduates on Wednesday 12 June, despite "the challenges that had to be met, and were met", according to one student. Aged between 20 and 24, they completed their work placements in some of France's leading hotel properties: Le Bristol Paris, Four Seasons Hotel Georges V, La Réserve Ramatuelle, etc. The vast majority of them will continue their career in these very properties, like Marion Brusseaux, valedictorian of this 15ᵉ promotion, who is already an assistant concierge at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme: "I think I'm as surprised as everyone else to be where I am, I wasn't expecting it. I've been a student at the Lycée des métiers de l'hôtellerie for many years, and I'd like to thank Marie Brier, the course coordinator, and all my fellow students, without whom I wouldn't have been able to keep up the intense pace of this year. We've forged close friendships that I think will last a long time.

Marion Brusseaux joins the prestigious list of graduating students, which includes Julie Benhaïm, concierge at the Georges V, winner of the prize for the best young Clefs d'or concierge in France, awarded in December 2023, as well as the prize for the best young Clefs d'or in the world, awarded in Bali last May at the association's international congress.