Ducati and Lamborghini social project: dual training is off to a good start in Italy

Ducati – The DESI Training Centers of Ducati and Lamborghini have started. The ribbon cutting took place in the presence of the Minister of Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini, the CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, Claudio Domenicali and the CEO and President of Lamborghini Stephan Winkelmann.

Ducati and Lamborghini offer 48 young Italians, selected on the basis of merit and conditions linked to social status, the possibility of having a dual scholastic and training experience through a program inspired by the German dual system. After the first teaching phase which took place in the classroom, now it is the turn of the practical session at the two newly inaugurated Training Centers. Starting from September 2014, the two Bolognese companies of the Audi group have started a new education and training project in Italy. In collaboration with the two high schools Aldini Valeriani and Fioravanti Belluzzi of Bologna, Ducati and Lamborghini have developed a joint program of classroom teaching and in-company training, creating a double path that combines school and the world of work. The program is aimed at rewarding deserving young people with limited possibilities of accessing higher education.

"Education is the most important structural policy against unemployment. For this reason, the 'La Buona Scuola' bill provides for the implementation of teaching based on School-Work Alternation, as happens for the students of the DESI project, making it compulsory starting from the third year of secondary schools, with at least 400 hours in technical and professional courses and at least 200 hours in high schools. For this purpose we are allocating 100 million euros when fully operational. And we encourage the participation of companies with some simplifications and the possibility of stipulating apprenticeship contracts for carrying out the alternation“, underlines the Minister of Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini. 

"Lamborghini and Ducati are two strong brands, which stand out for the high performance of their products, for quality and passion," he has declared Luca de Meo, member of the board for Sales and Marketing of AUDI AG at the inauguration of the Training Centers. “Furthermore, both companies demonstrate these values ​​when they train their future teams, pass on skills and instill in young people the aspiration for success“. Before the practical phase, the project staff was involved in a detailed preparatory program at AUDI AG, so as to obtain a harmonized and balanced result based on many years of German experience in the field including the technical, didactic and pedagogical aspects. During the training, all project participants will be able to work on current models of Ducati motorcycles and Lamborghini cars. The young people will receive training in relation to three professional profiles: mechatronics technician for the automotive sector, mechatronics technician for the motorcycle sector and CNC operator, particularly focused on metal carpentry processing. After two years, participants will be able to obtain an official school diploma and a certificate from Ducati or Lamborghini, as well as formal recognition for participation in the program from the regional administration of Emilia-Romagna.