16
EDUCATION
Are there special projects you’ve started
with universities close to your company?
«
At this moment there are four “university
research” projects running. One concerns
materials and we are carrying it on with the
Padua University; another one is with the
mathematics department of Milan, the Mox,
and regards CFD; then a research on risk
assessment with the Parma University. For
my part I’m taking care of a project with
the Marco Biagi Foundation of the Modena-
Reggio Emilia University, regarding human
resources. There are more projects and
activities that Dallara is carrying on with
other universities, I won’t mention them
here due to lack of space».
Engineers coming to you are general
engineers or engineers loving motorsport?
«
Lately we are giving a higher value to
motorsport passion. It is a matter of
discussion with my colleagues involved in
the technical area, both during the
screening and the interviews with the
candidates. Compared to the past, we
have begun to place increasing importance
to the emotional and passion factors people
feel for cars and races, rather than
considering mainly the technical aspects».
People often talk about the “flee of
brains”. Do you believe nowadays there
are more chances abroad or in Italy for a
recent graduate interested in motorsport?
«
I believe there are good possibilities in
Italy too. Let’s take Emilia-Romagna for
instance: Toro Rosso in Faenza,
Lamborghini at Sant’Agata Bolognese,
Ducati in Borgo Panigale, Ferrari in
Maranello, Maserati in Modena, Pagani at
San Cesario sul Panaro, besides Dallara in
Varano… There are several opportunities
within a radius of hundred kilometers. It is
a field, considering also allied activities,
which can probably provide 6-7 thousands
workplaces. In Great Britain, Italy’s main
“
rival”, there are over 30 thousand people
working in motorsport, there is also a
dedicated ministry, MIA (Motorsport
Industry Association) that is really powerful
atthe lobbying level. Great Britain, in terms
of quantities, offers more opportunities, but
Italy gets by quite well and we have to keep
focusing and investing on “quality”».
Maybe without being too “choosy” as
Minister Fornero says…
«
I have to say we found few choosy young
people! We put them to the test
immediately. Our procedure provides, after
finishing university, six months formative
and careers apprenticeship with a 650
Euros a month grant, becoming 750 Euros
by adding luncheon vouchers, that’s clearly
not a salary! This way we immediately
sound out the reasons a person has to
enter motorsport and particularly Dallara.
I have to say that in most cases
motivations are extremely strong. It is
understood that apprenticeship has to be
used the right way, is not a way to get low
cost labor, but an experience offering, by
working, the opportunity to get technical,
relational and indirect knowledge which
will help the trainee make the best
professional choice. Besides, as far as we
are concerned, we invest a lot on young
people, in terms of formation, mainly in
the first months. They are not immediately
ready to give a contribution in operational
terms: the six months period is needed as a
first rough out of what they’ve learned at
university and also to evaluate
adaptability to our company. In the past
ten years over 90 percent of our
apprenticeships were hiring oriented and
we’ve reached the target. When the
apprenticeship period is over we offer a
fixed-term contract and in two years
time they are offered a regular contract.
We may be lucky but we do not see many
choosy young people among those
applying for an interview at Dallara».
There will be a university degree in
motorsport?
«
The project we are working on at Dallara is
a “Motorsport Master of Science”
acknowledged both in Italy and in the
United States. This is a dream of Engineer
Dallara and a project Engineer Pontremoli
is carrying on together with a working
group created inside the Alma Graduate
School, the Bologna University Master. This
project involves personalities like Professor
Romano Prodi and the United States Consul
in Rome. What they find difficult is to
combine two different studying systems. The
idea is to have teachers coming not only
from the university, but also from
companies working in motorsport and from
high-level teams. A dream in a drawer we
would like to become true».
Does Dallara have any collaboration with
high schools?
«
Sure. There are the so called “stages” which
alternate school and work, both during the
fourth year of high school and at the end of
the fifth year. We started cooperation with
ten high schools and technical institutes in
the province of Parma».
Will you address mainly to the territory or
will you do something at national and
international level too in the future?
