Innovation and employment win at Its Tech&Food in Parma

Our journey through Italy's Its Academies takes us to the Its Tech&Food, a training excellence in Parma, the capital of 'food', over a thousand food companies employing 15 thousand people and a food turnover of 9.2 billion (out of Italy's total 179 billion).

To date there are seven active pathways ranging from Digital Factory to Food Sustainability, from Food Technology to Product Innovation. There are 222 students attending. All the training courses are co-financed by the Emilia Romagna region, a convinced supporter of the Its Academy system, and are therefore free of charge for the students. The modules consist of 2,000 hours, 1,200 in the classroom and in innovative laboratories, the remaining 800 hours 'on the job'.

49% of the students also had curricular experience abroad: including 400-hour internships and teaching modules. Predominant destinations France, Spain, Portugal, Ireland. More than 70% of the teaching staff come from the world of work. The employment rate, one year after graduation, is over 80%.

The Institute works structurally with more than 100 companies, large and small, in the agro-industrial sector. The following have recently become members: Mutti, the famous tomato company, known for its focus on the quality of raw materials and the sustainability of the production process; the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, which, with a turnover of €3.2 billion in 2024, is taking the artisanal wisdom of Emilia around the world; CNH Industrial, a global leader in machinery and technology for the sustainable advancement of agriculture.

"The strength of our courses is their outlook. One that is attentive to the market and the evolutions that the food sector is going through; another, equally attentive, aimed at the student and at the challenges posed by interactive, inclusive, skills-oriented teaching,' stressed the director of the Its Tech&Food, Francesca Caiulo. 'We are looking for young people who want to achieve and are passionate about the food sector: food brings with it history, culture, nature, craftsmanship, but also a lot of research, science and technology. Food has to do with our health and is closely related to the environment from which it comes. Therefore the necessary ingredient to be an Its Tech&Food student is a passion for food and the environment. In addition to that, we are looking for enthusiastic and creative young people.