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The First Academy For Advanced Training In On-Board Hospitality Opened Today

Ribbon-cuttingceremony at the prestigious Villa Figoli Des Geneys in Arenzano (Genoa) forItaly's first centre dedicated to training hospitality professionals who willwork on passenger ships. The project is a result of collaboration between theLiguria Region, Italian Merchant Marine Academy ITS Foundation and theMunicipality of Arenzano. Four courses are already available in partnershipwith Costa Cruises.

Genoa, 11November 2016– The new Accademia di Alta Formazione per l'Hôtellerie di Bordo (Academyfor Advanced Training in On-Board Hospitality) was opened today at theprestigious Villa Figoli Des Geneys in Arenzano (Genoa). It is the firstschool in Italy dedicated exclusively to training hospitality professionals towork on passenger ships: cooks, pastry-makers, bakers, tourism entertainers,customer service representatives, and other positions related to on-boardhospitality and entertainment.
The initiativeis a result of collaboration between the Liguria Region, theMunicipality of Arenzano and Italian Merchant Marine Academy ITSFoundation, which will run the school, with the goal of promoting Italianexcellence in on-board hospitality.

Thanks tothe "Accademia Ospitalità Italiana Crociere" (Academy for Italian CruiseHospitality) project, in which Costa Cruises will be a strong partner ofItalian Merchant Marine Academy ITS Foundation, a very significant portion ofthe new school's activities will be dedicated to the cruise sector.

The projectalready offers four courses. The Superior Technical Institutes course(ITS) for training on-board pastry-makers and bakers, financed by theMinistry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), designed for EU youngpeople in search of employment, will be about one and a half years long,alternating classroom training with on-board internships. There are 22 placesavailable, with Costa Cruises making a commitment to hire at least 70% of thestudents who successfully complete the training course. Registration is alreadyopen and will close on 9 January 2017, while classes are set to begin inFebruary 2017.

Three othercourses, financedby the Liguria Region through the European Social Fund through public noticeprocess closed in February 2016, are designed to train tourism entertainers,customer service representatives and cooks, for a total of 60places (20 places for each course), reserved to EU students over 24 years oldwho are in search of employment. Courses will be from 300 to 415 hours long,with Costa guaranteeing that 60% of qualified students will be hired.Applications are already being taken for courses for tourism entertainers andcustomer service representatives, with a closing date in mid-January 2017 andclasses beginning in February 2017: these will be the first students to use thenew facilities and equipment at Villa Figoli. Registrations for cooks willbegin in mid-February 2017.

Students whotake courses at the new academy will have an absolutely excellent facilityavailable to them. The restoration work in the splendid 18^th centuryliberty-style villa, done at the initiative of the Liguria Region (withtotal investment of 4 million euro coming from PAR FAS/FSC funds) and theMunicipality of Arenzano, created 9 fully-equipped classrooms, a library, a tearoom/exhibition hall, a multi-purpose Tapestry Room, a refreshment area, a barand a kitchen for classroom use. The structure also has a dormitory that canaccommodate up to 50 students off-site, and is surrounded by an Italianatepark-garden about 35,000 m² in size.

As Arenzanomayor Maria Luisa Biorci explains: "From time we have been waiting for VillaFigoli Des Geneys, a splendid 18^th century liberty-style surroundedby an Italian of 35,000 square meter park-garden, to become the heart of aproject able to give it a new life. That time has come, thanks to major supportfrom the Municipality of Arenzano. We decided to focus right on the villa asthe headquarters of the first training academy for onboard hospitality: a wayto enhance our local vocation to the sea. But that's not all. The recovery ofVilla Figoli Des Geneys means also that our town is getting a magnificent,renovated public park and a splendid facility for maritime education as well aslarge, elegant reception areas, used jointly with the Academy, which can becomethe location for ongoing initiatives to showcase Italian excellence. Itwill be a school, a place available to the citizens and also an open place,ready to host events dedicated to the culture of the sea and of the Italianfood and wine. Today, in other words, our ambition is to make a real laboratoryof beauty".

"Sinceour assignment – declaredGiovanni Toti, President of Regione Liguria – we have worked hard to putyoung people more and more in contact with the job market through a quality education,in order to address them towards future choices, close to their legitimateaspirations. I think it's very positive that a company like Costa Cruises is atthe frontline to ensure a job opportunity to many of the youngsters who willcomplete their training in this prestigious location, restored to its formersplendor thanks to the support of Regione Liguria and integral part of theLigurian historical and architectural heritage. The cruise sector is anti-recession and growing: here,in this prestigious location, we train people for a real and concreteemployment. My wish – he concluded – is that others could exploit theeducational potential of this center of excellence in the future, obviouslywith the same commitment and employment effort."

A desireshared by regional councilor for education Ilaria Cavo, who affirmed: "Ihope that the training provided through last year's application process will bejoined by additional educational opportunities after initiation of theapplication process for Technical Higher Education (through a Councilresolution, the Liguria Region provided new courses of study in hospitalityservices: on-board pastry cook / baker, on-board cook, on-boardlighting/sound/video technician and DJ) and for the new 5 million euroapplication process (ESF funds) dedicated to the Blue Economy, which is open toeducational organizations and consortia or special purpose associations in theregion that present projects for unemployed persons who possess a three yearqualification, a higher secondary school diploma, or a college degree."Councilor Cavo also added, "Thank you to Costa Cruises for believing in thissite, for guaranteeing employment opportunities for the courses offered, andfor making a major contribution to the entire project."

According tothe president of the Italian Merchant Marine Academy ITS Foundation, "Thenew site at Villa Figoli will make it possible, for the first time in Italy, todevelop the on-board hospitality supply chain, offering an opportunity that canimmediately be expanded to Technical Higher Education courses and training forother strategic positions in the sector, using cutting-edge technologicalsystems and educational tools and guaranteeing a steady and continuous offer toboth companies and to young people. Costa Cruises is an ideal partner fordeveloping the cruise industry, as it is a major international company and theonly cruise ship company that flies the Italian flag." In conclusion, hestated: "The Academy is delighted to work with others who may need to useVilla Figoli for future educational activities related to on-board hospitality."

"Weare delighted to be a partner in this truly unique training project inItaly, which will offer many new career opportunities, guaranteeing anabsolutely excellent education. Costa Cruises is an Italian company that bringsItaly's finest to the world by investing in new Italian talent: suffice it toconsider that from 2006 to 2015 we hired over 1600 people. Thanks to theAccademia Ospitalità Italiana Crociere, which was established at Villa Figoli,we will be able to further increase our commitment to train and hire Italianand EU on-board staff, as we are also planning to expand our fleet, which in2019 and 2021 will welcome the arrival of two new 180,000-ton ships, the firstin the world to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG)" – said NeilPalomba, President of Costa Cruises .

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