Audi subsidiaries Ducati and Lamborghini have teamed up with Italian colleges Fioravanti Belluzzi and Aldini Valeriani in Bologna to put on a two-year joint education program for 48 socially disadvantaged young people. The two companies will train and teach the students throughout the program as they work to “ take the next steps towards a secure future,” according to Human Resources Board Member at Audi, Thomas Sigi.

All of the participants in the Audi/Lamborghini/Ducati social project, nicknamed DESI (Dual Education System Italy), will have the opportunity to work on current Ducati motorcycles and Lamborghini models throughout their placement. All of the students are studying to become a car and motorcycle mechatronic and a CNC mechanic, occupations which all have a focus in metalworking. Following the program, they will receive a two-year college certificate from Ducati or Lamborghini as well as state recognition from the administrative office of Emilia Romagna.

“The DESI Project is part of a broad Corporate Social Responsibility strategy implemented in the last few years. Based on three pillars, economy, society and environment, it puts the accent on professional training,” said Lamborghini president Stephan Winkelmann. “DESI, including our apprenticeship programs and our relationships with nearby schools and universities, develops the professional competences of socially disadvantaged juveniles by integrating them into a company’s organization and culture. Training means gaining a competitive advantage; a benefit for both the individual and the company.”