I was watching the Hallmark Channel on a cold winter day when I saw a commercial for a new movie about two butlers who fall in love.  I watched Downtown Abbey and loved it! The characters were believable and endearing. The scenery was beyond amazing. The homes and the attire of those who were fortunate enough to live in them was splendid! It was, however, set in a bygone era. Anyway, this movie theme got me brainstorming for a new article. I began thinking about butlers and what they do to prepare for their jobs. I did a bit of research and found that there is actually a butler college in the Netherlands. It is called The International Butler Academy.

The International Butler Academy prides themselves on producing the creme de la creme of  house managers and butlers. Their website says that the top 1% of the richest population, luxury cruise ships, many of the top five star hotels and resorts, and private clubs come to them to fulfill their butler and other staffing needs. (https://www.butlerschool.com)

They offer a immersive ten-week, government licensed, course (800 hours) on butler training that is heralded as being the top of the top! The skills learned at this prestigious academy will qualify you to be recruited and hired in some of the most amazingly esteemed households or other facilities around the globe. All students are trained and actually work at a multi-million dollar, 80,000 square foot, home to help prepare them to step into their first private service jobs. Role playing is an important part of this curricula. The focus is on managing and running multi-million dollar estates and staff. All of the participants are real from the delivery personnel to the maintenance staff. Even the family living in this abode are real. Typical days in this type of work start at 8 am and run to 8 pm and can be quite taxing. This program is intended to prepare students for that journey.

The fabulous home and learning facility was a former monastary. It was founded in 1892 and canonized by a Belgium, Father Damiian and is named after him, Huize Damiian.  The International Butler Academy purchased it in 2014 and completely renovated it to suit their specific teaching needs. Huize Damiian boasts 135 rooms and is the largest landmark in that region. In case you are wondering what a home like that looks like there are a plethora of pictures, both inside and outside, available on their website https://www.butlerschool.com

The staff  of Huize Damiian is a varied sampling of international people with the right skills and attention to detail to make it a tremendous success. Instructors hail from storied backgrounds interwoven with a rich tapestry of specializations that include working for some of the most complex and unique homes and other places your mind can conceive.

Students are required to submit a resume and picture before being selected to come to this school. Classes are purposefully small so all students get the right mix of hands on experience to begin their careers as experts in their fields.  Curricula includes how to run a house and its staff, manage the aircraft and yachts, even care for the pampered pets with style and grace. Students can select any area of specialization from hotels and resorts to house management to yachts. Whichever avenue they decide to pursue they will get state-of-the-art training here!

The International Butler Academy has a sister academy in China. It is called The International Butler Academy China. This school also opened in 2014 in Chengdu, Sichuan Providence and is housed in a multi-million dollar private villa. To learn more about that please visit their website at https://www.butlerschool.com

The International Butler Academy also offer internships for a select few and even help place their graduates into jobs around the world. To lean about how you can get into this special academy and what you can expect when you get there please visit their website at https://www.butlerschool.com or their mailing and other information is:

• The International Butler Academy
• Huize Damiaan
• Pater Damiaanstraat 38
• NL – 6369 SV, Simpelveld
• The Netherlands
• Tel: + 31 – (0) 452 – 07 80 08
• butlerschool@butlerschool.com