Business Schools Go Hands-On as AI Reshapes Career Skills

As artificial intelligence continues to transform workplaces around the world, one leading European business school is taking an unexpected approach to future-proofing its students: teaching them practical trades alongside management theory.

emlyon business school has partnered with L’atelier des Chefs to offer students on its Master in Management programme the chance to earn a CAP vocational qualification at the same time as completing their business degree.

The initiative reflects a growing belief that while AI may automate many office-based tasks, practical, human-led skills remain far harder to replace.

Students can choose from a wide range of vocational disciplines including culinary arts, pastry-making, carpentry, electrical work and other skilled trades. The training is fully integrated into the academic programme, delivered online and contributes ECTS credits alongside traditional business studies.

Participants complete around 150 hours of theory and 200 hours of practical learning, allowing them to build genuine technical expertise while continuing their university education. Around 50 students are currently enrolled, while more than 100 emlyon students and alumni have already completed CAP qualifications through the partnership.

The move highlights a wider shift in attitudes among younger professionals, many of whom are increasingly interested in combining corporate knowledge with practical, entrepreneurial or creative skills.

Lionel Sitz, Director of the Master in Management programme at emlyon, said the partnership reflects changing student ambitions, with many looking to explore new industries, develop side projects or gain skills that open doors beyond traditional corporate careers.

The figures behind the programme are also revealing. While culinary arts, baking and pastry account for around a quarter of L’atelier des Chefs’ training pathways, the majority focus on sectors such as construction, mechanics, beauty, wellness, health and social care — industries where practical expertise remains in high demand.

For business schools, the partnership signals a broader rethink about what employability looks like in an AI-driven economy.

Isabelle Huault, Executive President and Dean of emlyon business school, described the initiative as part of the institution’s “learning by doing” philosophy, combining managerial education with technical know-how and human-centred professions.

Meanwhile, François Bergerault, co-founder of L’atelier des Chefs and an emlyon graduate, summed up the thinking behind the programme with a memorable line: “The intelligence of the hand is not artificial.”

Former students say the qualifications have already created real-world career advantages. One graduate who completed a culinary qualification during studies at emlyon said it impressed recruiters during interviews and later proved valuable while working as HR Director for a restaurant group, helping bridge the gap between leadership and operational understanding.

As AI continues to reshape white-collar industries, initiatives like this suggest the future of business education may be less about choosing between academic and practical learning — and more about mastering both.