Costa Cruises is investing in the “Scuole di Mestiere,” a project aimed at providing its shipboard staff with specific training.

The program consists of a series of top quality workshops and courses, designed in collaboration with some of Costa’s partners: the Università del Caffè illy, Cantine Ferrari, Academia Barilla, CAST Alimenti – the school of trades of taste and the Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche (UNISG Pollenzo).

By the end of 2016 Costa Cruises will have trained more than 90 shipboard managers giving them the “opportunity to become more familiar with the values, vision, professionalism, quality and know-how of these centers of Italian excellence,” said the cruise line. 

“The Scuole di Mestiere project is a first for our industry, which further consolidates the ties between Costa Cruises and the leading brands of Italian excellence, with whom we have been collaborating for some time now so as to offer our guests only Italy’s finest: illy, Barilla, Ferrari, CAST Alimenti and the Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche di Pollenzo. Excellent Italian products that are the envy of the world are also the fruit of a culture and expertise that we are bringing onboard our ships by means of the Schools of Trades,” said Neil Palomba, president. 

The project is the latest addition to a wide range of training programs that Costa has a long history of providing, the company said.