Ford Makes History Opening Italy’s First Ever School-Based Body Shop

Nov 04, 2025

ROME, Italy - Ford this month inaugurated a state-of-the-art body shop at the "De Amicis-Cattaneo" Vocational Institute in Rome. The result of a major renovation by Ford, the facility represents a high-level training centre for future professionals in the automotive sector, integrating the latest technologies and equipment.

A place of inclusion and education, where the Institute's students can rediscover their passion for cars, this project has historical significance as it is the first body shop that an automaker has opened within a school in Italy, and it combines the best of traditional repair techniques with the skills required for modern vehicles, from electric cars to hybrids.

"Investing in a project of this kind, for us, means investing in the future," explained Fabrizio Faltoni, CEO of Ford Italy, during the inauguration ceremony attended by Prof. Giovanna Giammarruto, Headmaster of I.I.S. De Amicis-Cattaneo in Rome, Daniele Parrucci, Delegate of the Mayor of Rome, Anna Paola Sabatini, Director of the Lazio School Office, and Danilo Vicca, Director of the Territorial Area of Rome, as well as students, and teachers.

"Working in a workshop, in the body shop, is a profession that today requires specific skills, technological knowledge, attention to detail, and a lot of passion," concluded Faltoni. "Thanks to projects like this, many young women and men approach the world of work with a solid preparation already in place and capable of meeting the demands of the market.”

According to a survey of 2,500 high school students conducted by Skuola.net in collaboration with Autostrade per l’Italia, 25 per cent of young people nearing graduation are seriously considering a career in craftsmanship or technical-practical fields, with strong interest in the mobility sector – automotive, railway, and aerospace.

The new Ford body replicates the standards of the most modern Ford workshops and features advanced painting systems, equipment for innovative materials and for working on electrified vehicles, and a brand-new paint oven.

This body shop becomes the new flagship of the Ford Youth Academy, the national program of Ford Italy which, in the 2024/2025 academic year, involved 39 institutes and around 600 students across Italy.

In the last twelve months alone, 56 students have completed an internship and 37 of them were directly hired within the Ford dealership network, demonstrating how investing in training can translate into real employment and professions capable of looking to the future.

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The training programs, based on structured internships and hands-on activities alongside Ford trainers and dealership staff, have produced concrete and lasting results, contributing to the development of qualified technicians ready to enter the workforce.

Building on these successes, and with an increasingly solid network of schools and partners, the Ford Youth Academy is already looking to the future, launching a new season full of opportunities and innovative projects, expanding training areas and introducing new strategic fields for the automotive sector.

Among the new developments are the expansion of training areas and a strengthened commitment to social inclusion, thanks to collaboration with organizations such as Cnos-Fap Salesiani, to offer training opportunities also to migrants and technicians from non-EU countries, building a more diverse, prepared professional community ready to face future challenges.