The SteeLab Academy is now underway at the Arvedi Campus classrooms—an innovative Higher Technical Education and Training (IFTS) programme born from the close collaboration between Acciaieria Arvedi, a leader in the steel industry, and ITS Academy Cremona.
This course, a virtuous example of dual system, has been launched through a first-level apprenticeship contract, ensuring young participants a genuine integration between study and paid work from day one.
The SteeLab Academy aims to train future Senior Technicians in steel plant maintenance.
The programme consists of a total of 800 hours of Core Curriculum, structured as follows:
- 400 hours of classroom training (theoretical lessons and laboratories).
- 400 hours of on-the-job training at Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A.
At the end of the course, young participants (maximum age 25) will obtain a diploma of specialisation in "Techniques for the installation and maintenance of civil and industrial systems".
“This training programme, strongly supported by our Group, was created from the desire to meet the need to train qualified mechanics ready to join our companies,” comments Guido Penasa, HR Manager of Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A. “The course, structured in theoretical and practical modules, will offer participants excellent technical training, enhancing individual skills and providing all the tools needed to become specialised and valuable professionals.”
The initiative highlights the importance of synergy between training and business to bridge the gap between supply and demand for specialised labour.
“SteeLab Academy demonstrates how higher technical education can effectively and promptly meet the real needs of companies in the area,” says Valentina Nucera, Director of ITS Academy Cremona. “Through the dual system, we offer our students not only high-level theoretical knowledge but also a concrete and paid gateway into the world of work, creating the professionals that industry urgently needs.”
Special thanks go to Simona Piperno, School Principal of I.I.S. Torriani in Cremona, for her valuable collaboration, which includes the use of equipment and laboratories at the school itself, and to Randstad, which managed the recruitment process for young students.
SteeLab Academy represents a strategic investment in the future of young people and the competitiveness of the local industrial fabric, offering participants a solid professional career based on first-rate specialized training in the ever-evolving steel industry.