The launch of Marazzi Academy

CEO Vandini: The priority is to build industry skills and to transfer values and knowledge with a focus on open, multi-company development

Marazzi, an international leader in the design, production and marketing of ceramic tiles, presents ‘Marazzi Academy’, a multi-company project aimed at building skills and knowledge, with a focus not only on internal development and use, but also on the local area, industry and district. The project is a tangible demonstration of the evolution of training within the company.

“Investing in people and their training has always been a priority for the Group – says Marazzi Group CEO Mauro Vandini – and has always been the key to transferring values, corporate culture, knowledge and skills with a view to development that is principally internal, geared towards our employees and the company. Marazzi Academy wishes to contribute to new and future needs. Recent investments, not only by Marazzi but by the entire sector, have accelerated innovation processes and we are confident that facilitating the transfer of knowledge, going beyond its immediate internal use, will play a role in future development. For Marazzi and Emilceramica, the other company in the group that is actively involved, as well as for the district and for the ceramic industry.”

The first two 300 and 400-hour training courses start in November. Funded by the European Social Fund and the Emilia-Romagna Region, they are dedicated to unemployed secondary school and university graduates who are resident or domiciled in the region. Organized in collaboration with Cerform, students will receive the “Interior designer specialized in ceramic design” and “Management and data analytics technician” qualifications.

“These training courses have been created to meet requirements related to business digitalisation and the need to develop and enhance skills connected to ceramic design,” explains Luca Gatti, Marazzi Group Director of HR and Organization. “They will be held at the Pietro and Maria Marazzi Training Centre, which, since its opening in May 2011,” continues Gatti, “has provided over 100,000 hours of teaching, from institutional, technical, IT, linguistic and managerial training to quality, safety and environment training.”

As part of the effort to improve work experience opportunities, the MAD (Marazzi Academy Duale) Project will also be launched, a multi-year course for 30 students of Maintenance and Technical Support at the “Alessandro Volta” Higher Education Institute in Sassuolo. These students will have the opportunity to undertake work experience at the company and to acquire specific certified skills that are useful for finding a job within companies in the ceramic district.

The MAD course also involves Marazzi Group, Emilceramica and Cerform, alongside local institutions.

“Enhancing, expanding, spreading and entrenching skills is extremely important,” commented Mauro Vandini. We face the daily challenge of putting people, their professionalism and their experiences at the centre of our attention. Today, this is demonstrated by innovative actions connected to corporate welfare, safety, performance bonuses, flexibility and new educational models such as Marazzi Academy”.