(MissionNewswire) The collaboration between the Salesian Vocational Training School in Sesto San Giovanni, a commune in Milan, Italy, and Yamaha Motor Italia established during the 2019-20 school year has already brought about a positive impact. Although both institutions had to face challenges during lockdown, two graduates of the program have started work at official Yamaha dealers.

The program provides automotive training courses that meet the Yamaha standard. Students are then able to access internships for on-the-job training with Yamaha dealerships. After graduation, they are often offered advanced course work at Yamaha and employment at dealerships.

Two students, Michele Musolino and Marco Crippa, obtained a technical diploma from the Salesian Vocational Training School in June and subsequently received a job offer from Yamaha dealers.

Musolino said, “It was a great journey. I started this experience by taking a course suitable to Yamaha standards. Then towards the end of the school year, I did an internship at Yamaha Motor to gain on-the-job training. Later, I did an internship at Valli Moto in Lissone. After the exams, I took my CV to Roberto Valli who hired me! As a result of the training, I have found good and helpful people, and I’ll be able to do a job that I like.”

Crippa also noted his positive experience with the training course. He said, “I have an apprenticeship contract with a maximum duration of three years, with the aim of training as a motorcycle repair mechanic. It includes full-time work of a maximum of 40 hours per week and training courses regarding my specialization. This work experience at the Motortimes dealership in Saronno has already filled me with positive emotions. It may seem trivial, but working on Yamaha-branded bikes gives me an extra boost.”

The partnership with Yamaha is a flagship professional training program at the Salesian Vocational Training School. Director Francesco Cristinelli noted, “Youth have the opportunity to have access to cutting-edge automotive workshops and to work on the latest-generation of Yamaha-branded vehicles. Then the best, like Marco and Michele, have the opportunity to build their future inside first-rate dealerships.”

Andrea Colombi, Yamaha Motor country manager, added, “This collaboration has the value of giving our contribution to the territory and to society in terms of skills, to create new highly technical professionals who can immediately integrate into the world of work. In every field, skills make and will make more and more a difference. Soon, other students of the fourth class will be selected to undertake the same path, and we are confident that in a year we’ll be able to speak of new and exciting results.”

Italy, Europe’s third-largest economy, has close to 2 million children living in poverty, according to UNICEF. The poverty rate has risen in the wake of Europe’s economic crisis. Unemployment is at its highest level since the late 1970s with the overall jobless rate at 12.5 percent and youth unemployment as high as 41 percent.

According to UNICEF, a growing number of youth are living away from their families in temporary shelters and within government and charity programs because of inadequate support from or neglect by their families. Salesian programs work to combat these challenges by providing shelter, nutrition, education and workforce development services for youth in need.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – Don Bosco Social Works of Sesto San Giovanni and Yamaha: from training to hiring

Salesian Missions – Italy

Salesian Vocational Training School in Sesto San Giovanni

UNICEF – Italy Poverty