Case Study: Tech Academy Upskilling a Workforce
Business Issue
For decades, people in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy worked in the textile industry, creating materials for sought-after Italian fashion. But change was inevitable. Newer technology increased production speed while cheaper imports slowed demand for fine fabric. As jobs became scarce, the textile workers’ prospects seemed dim.
On the other end of the spectrum, this region is also home to Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini and Dallara, some of the fastest, best known, limited production cars and motorsports vehicles in the world. Growing demand for luxury vehicles created a dilemma for manufacturers: The region lacked enough workers with the advanced manufacturing and technological skills required to fabricate the strong, lightweight components used in car parts. Meanwhile, Dallara’s needs had grown significantly. They needed to fill a wide range of technical roles, such as carbon fiber laminators, CAD designers, aerodynamics engineers, vehicle performance and data analysts, and engine builders. In addition, they had high demand for IT talent, including programmers and IT specialists.
Facing a growing skills gap, Dallara turned to ManpowerGroup and Experis to help transition the local labor force into a workforce equipped to succeed in a highly skilled manufacturing environment.
Solution
To meet the growing demand for luxury vehicles, ManpowerGroup and Experis, part of ManpowerGroup, created hands-on labs and classroom training academies to upskill and reskill the local labor forces.
Partnering with local technical schools, universities and governments, the academy offers training for graduates to fill technical and IT positions at many of Italy’s major players in motorsport and automotive manufacturing. The Experis Tech Academy saw hundreds of applicants enroll in its first year, with a 100% placement rate, connecting Dallara and other employers to highly specialized and trained talent and connecting professionals to in-demand jobs.
Results
The Tech Academy has achieved the following results:
- Creation of eight hands-on labs and two classroom academies.
- Development of fifteen training programs and 40 courses.
- Program enrollees include 300 technical and 120 IT students.
- Graduates saw a 30% average wage increase. Sixty percent of students are placed in the motorsport industry post-graduation.