The company has tied up with the official Ferrari dealer network to offer at least one apprentice in each of the 12 official dealers. Ferrari is also opening two purposely-designed classrooms containing 10 computer terminals for online assessments and for computer-based learning at the company’s North Europe head office in Slough. These are in addition to the two classrooms currently available for technical training for dealer staff.
A dedicated and fully-equipped workshop with three vehicle ramps and more than £20,000 of tools and equipment is being created for apprentices to receive hands-on training for servicing and maintaining Ferrari cars. There will also be a Ferrari technical training instructor dedicated to providing courses and tuition for the Ferrari North Europe apprentice programme.
Matteo Torre, regional manager at Ferrari North Europe, said the scheme was part of a wider programme to encourage young talent. The company also offers a number of scholarships and a three-year internship programme for students from the Tsinghua University of Shanghai, China. It recently launched a contest among 50 of the most prestigious international schools to design the Ferrari Hypercar of the Future.
"This project is part of the Ferrari philosophy of investing in young talent," he said.
"We are proud to continue this philosophy through the Ferrari North Europe apprentice programme and to ensure that the Ferrari dealer network has a continual supply of high quality, knowledgeable and expertly trained apprentices who will hopefully become the Ferrari technicians of the future."
The apprentice scheme will be managed in-house and is open to all school leavers aged 16 or over. Training will start at Ferrari North Europe’s head office in September 2011.