The automotive electric transition also passes through school classrooms. Because cars change, technologies become more complex and the skills required of those who work in the workshop must evolve accordingly. It is in this context that Ford is expanding its professional training strategy with the new Tech Labs of the Ford Youth Academy, technological laboratories intended for eight Italian schools, equipped with as many 100% electric Ford Explorers.
The project was created to reduce the gap between the preparation of students and the needs of companies. A challenge that is anything but marginal: according to Unioncamere data cited by Ford, 44.1% of the professional profiles sought by companies are difficult to find. The percentage rises to 56.4% for technical figures and specialized workers, highlighting the difficulties of the job market in finding candidates with adequate preparation.
The new laboratories aim to intervene precisely on this gap, offering students the opportunity to compare themselves with tools and technologies already used in the workshops. The educational activities will range from digital diagnostics to the analysis of data, parameters and fault codes, passing through ADAS driver assistance systems and infotainment technologies. The Ford Explorers made available to the institutes will thus become tools for practical exercises, combining theoretical training with direct experience on electric vehicles.
A choice that looks at the evolution of the sector. Traditional mechanics remains a fundamental component of workshop work, but it is no longer sufficient on its own: knowing electrical systems, interpreting data and using digital tools is increasingly important for those who want to pursue a career in the automotive industry. According to data reported by Ford, in September 2026 battery electric cars reached a share of 7.6% of new registrations in Italy, rising to 8.7% in the first nine months of the year.
The first of the eight Tech Labs was inaugurated at ENAIP in Padua, where mechanics classes will be able to use the laboratory for training activities. The initiative is carried out in collaboration with Bisson Auto, Ford Partner in the area. The program will then continue with seven other institutes, progressively extending the network of structures dedicated to technological skills.
«The Ford Youth Academy was born from a concrete need, that of helping to train the people our network needs», he explains Marco BuraglioCEO of Ford Italia. «We invest in this project because we believe it can bring value to the sector, but also because it can bring new generations closer to concrete professional opportunities within our dealer network».
The introduction of the Tech Labs is part of a process already started in previous years. The Ford Youth Academy supported the creation of the first body shop in a public school at the De Amicis-Cattaneo Institute in Rome and the reactivation of the workshop at the Settembrini Institute in Milan. The new laboratories represent a further step in expanding the training offering, with specific attention to the technologies that are transforming the work of technicians.
The numbers from the last school year give the dimensions of the project. In 2025/2026 the Ford Youth Academy involved 49 vocational schools and 960 students. More than 100 girls and boys also had the opportunity to carry out a training internship at the Ford dealer network, with an effective insertion rate into the world of work of 40%.
The objective is to consolidate this connection between school and business, creating a pool of young qualified technicians and encouraging generational turnover in a sector grappling with rapid technological transformation. Because the mobility of the future does not only require new cars, but also professionals capable of understanding them, repairing them and managing their systems.
