05   Febbraio   2015

Agreement with Fermi

Confindustria Ceramica and Ceramicolor renew agreement with Istituto Fermi of Modena

Confindustria Ceramica and Federchimica Ceramicolor have renewed their agreement with the “E. Fermi” technical high school in Modena aimed at providing students studying for a diploma in chemistry with more detailed and up-to-date knowledge of the world of ceramics. Aspects covered include the theory and practice of production processes, as well as economic, commercial and logistics issues with the aim of making it easier for school leavers to find work at companies in the ceramic district.

The presentation ceremony for the agreement held today in the main hall of the Istituto Fermi was attended by the chairman of Confindustria Ceramica Vittorio Borelli, the chairman of Ceramicolor Claudio Casolari, the head teacher of the Istituto Fermi Maria Cristina Zanti and the educational representative for the project Giorgia Messori, the chairman of the Italian Ceramic Society Paolo Zannini and the Mayor of Modena Giancarlo Muzzarelli. During the ceremony two scholarships were awarded under the terms of the 2014 agreement to Andrea Amadessi and Simone Lamenti, students who achieved excellent results in their school-leaving diploma last year and are now attending the first year of a Chemistry degree at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Under the terms of the agreement for the academic year 2014/2015, notions and information on the ceramic industry will be included in the curriculum and a two-year course of excellence will be organised. The course will consist of 50 hours of lessons outside school hours each year and is open to 24 students. The fourth year of the course will consist of theory and practical lessons, laboratory experiments at the institute and guided visits to companies located in the ceramic cluster. The fifth year of the course will feature a further 30 hours of theory and practice lessons. There will be special emphasis on the most topical issues for the production of ceramic materials such as energy and environmental sustainability, recently approved European legislation on the production of ceramic materials, the most innovative aspects in the field of advanced ceramics, and the development prospects for the ceramic industry in Italy and abroad.

One of the most interesting features of the training course is the 4-week summer internships to be held on the premises of ceramic and glaze manufacturers located in the ceramic district. These internships will focus on production processes, product innovation, logistics and product marketing, as well as direct participation in manufacturing activities. The companies themselves will reimburse the expenses of students taking part and will award scholarships each year to students who have excelled for their ability and merit.