Mech@griJOBS, training in the spotlight
Despite the restrictions imposed by the health emergency, the vocational orientation meetings held at EIMA International as part of the Mech@griJOBS project were successfully concluded. More than 160 students took part in the training initiatives held from 19 to 23 October at the Bologna Exhibition Centre
More than 160 upper school students took part in the meetings promoted by the Mech@griJOBS project at EIMA International 2021. Organised by Federacma in collaboration with CAI and FederUnacoma, the Mech@griJOBS initiatives were divided into several work sessions held over the five days of the event and, despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic, they were a great success.
"I would advise other students to participate in Mech@griJOBS because it opens your mind a lot," commented one student. Francesco Calderoni, agronomist and lecturer at the Galilei Nervi Technical Institute in Altamura, in the province of Bari, said: "We decided to take part in this beautiful event almost by chance at first, but now I can say that we made the right choice because it gives students the chance to get in touch with the technological developments of agricultural machinery currently underway, including robotization, which I believe is a fundamental aspect of the training. That's why we've already decided to bring next year's fifth year classes along. Together with Gianni Di Nardo, Federacma's Secretary General, speakers Roberto Guidotti of CAI (Confederazione Agricoltori e Agromeccanici Italiani) and Lorenzo Iuliano, an engineer from FederUnacoma's technical office, took the students on a journey of discovery into the world of agricultural machinery. In particular, Guidotti and Iuliano focused on the professional figures and skills most in demand in a sector that is characterised by a high demand for specialised personnel not only by manufacturers but also by dealers and service centres. During these meetings, a lot of interest was generated by the directions and suggestions given by experts to students on the training courses to follow in order to acquire the most popular professional skills.
Federacma's initiatives for the world of education saw a great deal of participation with the Alberto Cocchi Award ceremony, now in its second year. The award, which this year included scholarships worth a total of 5,000 euro, is promoted by the heirs of Alberto Cocchi and by Federacma itself in memory of one of the association's historical associates, who has always strived to help young people enter the professional world of agricultural machinery. "The award," reads the Federacma website, "is assigned by a qualified jury to the most deserving students attending the fourth and fifth years of technical and professional institutes for industrial, mechanical, mechatronic and agricultural studies in the 2021-22 school year. In addition to the scholarships, the award also includes an internship of at least 200 hours at an agricultural machinery dealership.
First prize in the 2021-22 edition went to Singh Kamalbeer, a fifth-year student at I.I.S. "G. Marconi" in Piacenza, while Mauro Pierotti, a fourth-year student at I.I.S. "Cassata Gattapone" in Gubbio, won second prize. Both boys were presented their awards by Alberto Cocchi's wife, Brunetta Schiaffonati.
