SRINAGAR, JUNE 28: Principal Secretary, Skill Development Department, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon, today chaired the 15th governing body meeting of Food Craft Institute (FCI), Jammu.
Secretary in Skill Development Department, Nazim Zai Khan; Managing Director, JKTDC, Nisar Ahmed Wani; Director Planning, Tourism, Parvaiz Kakroo; Principal Institute of Hotel Management Srinagar, Qazi Shabir were present in the meeting while Director, Tourism Jammu, Vivekanand Rai; Director, Skill Development Department, Sudershan Kumar; Additional Secretary, Skill Development, Kuldeep Sapolia; Principal FCI Jammu, Jyoti Bhatti; HoD, Department of Food Science Government College for Women Gandhi Nagar, Dr Anuradha Gandotra; President, Hotel & Lodges Association Katra, Rakesh Wazir; President, All Jammu Hotel and Lodge Association, Pawan Gupta participated online.
While deliberating on agenda points it has been decided that the Food Craft Institute, Jammu, which is the premium institute for the conduct of courses in the fields of Hotel Management shall be upgraded to the level of Institute of Hotel Management. This will enable the students to join the courses, after 10+2, for three-year degree programme in Hotel Management which is affiliated with the National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Union Ministry of Tourism. The students of the Food Craft Institute, Jammu can prove themselves to be very useful in filling up the gap of skilled manpower in the hospitality sector.
The students after passing out from FCI Jammu can be absorbed for employment in the hotels of Katra, Jammu, and Patnitop.
The meeting approved the agenda points put forth by the Member Secretary, Jyoti Bhatti, Principal FCI Jammu. It was also decided to hire a bus for to and fro transportation of candidates from Bus Stand/K.C. Morh to the institute in order to facilitate the students.
It was decided in the meeting that the construction activities approved during the year under the CAPEX head shall be completed on a priority basis. Besides, in order to bridge the skills gap in the hospitality industry, such programmes are conducted regularly in collaboration with the Hotel Associations and Tourism Department so that unemployed youth and unskilled workers avail the benefit of the skill development schemes.
Dr Samoon stressed on the placement of pass-out trainees saying that we should become the facilitator for unemployed youth by helping them become entrepreneurs. He emphasized the need for enhancing soft skills among the students apart from the curriculum to make them fit for the industry.