Fashion has always been important in Italy. And so have fast cars. But this isn’t a story about looking good and driving an expensive car, it’s about identifying a demand in a growing industry and creating a workforce with the power of new skills. So when textile workers lose their jobs—and growth opportunities in the production of fast cars emerge, we need to ensure that people have the skills to flourish. With training and guidance, they can.
The decline of one industry
The Emilia Romagna region of Italy is a beautiful place, with a mix of plains, hills and mountains. There’s the bustling city of Bologna, a rich coastline, and a long history of hard working people. For decades, many found work in the textile industry creating materials for sought-after Italian fashions. But change here, like in the rest of the world, is inevitable. Newer equipment was speeding production, while cheaper imports were slowing demand for the fine fabrics. Workers were left without jobs and their prospects didn’t seem good.
The rise of another
This is “Motor Valley,” home of Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Dallara. Birthplace of some of the fastest, most luxurious, most limited-production cars in the world. But as Dallara found, growing demand created a dilemma for manufacturers—there simply were not enough skilled workers who could use the advanced technology and materials required to fabricate the stronger, lighter-weight components used in their cars.
Trading fabric for carbon fiber
Dallara was already sourcing talent from Experis, but the need far outpaced the number of people in the region with the right skill set. Something more dramatic needed to happen, something that could produce talented workers where there appeared to be none — and keep them coming, as this need extended to all the car makers in Motor Valley. Experis Tech Academy was the answer. We quickly developed an unprecedented curriculum to train textile workers in the skills needed to work with high-tech materials like carbon fiber. Workers enrolled. They quickly gained the skills needed, and the jobs. And the program began to grow.
Skills on top of skills
Immediately, Dallara’s needs became greater — they needed carbon fiber laminators; but also CAD designers; aerodynamics engineers; vehicle performance and data analysts; engine builders; programmers; project managers; IT specialists…rapidly, we were training for the jobs of the future, today.
- 8Labs
- 2Academies
Many hands create more talented workers
Partnering with local technical schools, universities and government, Experis and ManpowerGroup were able to create a unique Labs and Academy Training Center to upskill and reskill the local labor force. Hundreds of applicants who enrolled in the Experis Tech Academy were now able to find new roles in the Italian automotive industry. The school now offers training for university graduates to fill more technical positions and offers training across Italy. And plans to expand to other locations in Europe are in motion: as of 2018, Experis Tech Academies have started in Spain, Germany, UK, Poland, Czech Republic, Sweden and Norway, and are scaling beyond the motorsport industry to include IT & Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing.
- 15Training Programs
- 40Courses
Skilling in, and skilling up
At the Experis Tech Academy, the teachers are industry professionals. That means students get hands-on coaching from people who actually design and build cars. The students who go on to be industry professionals also become teachers. That has proven invaluable in the transition from classroom to workplace as well as in the sustainability of the program. And the two-tier entry means students can participate in a Professional Class if they are new to the field, or a Masters Class if they have existing engineering qualifications or experience.
- 30%Average Wage Increase
- 60%Placed in Motorsports Industry Post Graduation
