The Food Craft Institute (FCI), Visakhapatnam, has made history by introducing a six-month course in Food and Beverage services, the first of its kind in its 37-year existence. The course aims to support unemployed individuals with a minimum qualification of Class X.
With a total of 30 available seats, the institute has issued a notification for interested candidates. However, only fewer than 10 applicants have applied thus far. It’s important to note that this notification is open to candidates from across India, with no age restrictions.
Classes are scheduled to commence on June 7, and the last date for course applications is June 20. The institute may even allow candidates to join after the classes have begun.
FCI Principal Raghavan Ravi spoke to The Hindu about this new initiative. He explained that while the institute typically runs courses lasting 18 months, they have now introduced a six-month certificate course in accordance with the directives of the Andhra Pradesh government. The course fee is ₹9,000 per candidate. In addition to theoretical classes, the curriculum includes two months of industrial training. The institute also provides recommendations for domestic and international hotel services to recruit qualified graduates, thus supporting employment opportunities.
The course primarily focuses on teaching lessons related to hotels and beverage services. FCI is the only government institution in the state of Andhra Pradesh offering such a course to meet the industry demands, particularly the growing need for service-oriented jobs in the tourism and hotel sectors. The course is open to both boys and girls, and while the institute doesn’t provide hostel facilities, the course fee is significantly more affordable compared to private institutes.
It’s worth mentioning that the institute also offers other courses. Over the years, approximately 3,500 candidates have studied at FCI, with around 85% of them successfully securing jobs in the same field at various locations. Some graduates have even found employment opportunities beyond the tourism industry, such as with cruise liners and hotel industries in countries like New Zealand, Russia, Malaysia, Scotland, and London.