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The History of Alfa Romeo
(by Elvira Ruocco)
Article 7
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The Alfa Romeo Corporate School
"BEFORE PRODUCING CARS, ONE HAVE TO BUILD MEN"
This was the premise from which, in the context of the company reorganization commissioned by the General Manager, Eng. Ugo Gobbato (1933-1945), the experience of the Alfa Romeo corporate school started.
The school, whose activity begun in 1936, was divided into two sections: the training school for graduate and qualified engineers, and the school for apprentices. This latter was open to teenagers between 14 and 15 years old (it was given preference to sons of employees or to youngsters with a sad family plight).
It had triennial duration and the atmosphere that one could breathe in was very serious. At the end of the three years, the pupils destined for the shop carried out a test called “proof of masterpiece”.
Next to the inner school, on July 29, 1938, it was founded the Workingmen’s Club of the National Institution “The Children of Father Beccaria” of Milan. Since 1936, Alfa had supplied the Institute with machineries, workers and technicians in order to train beginners for its shops.
Also the young people coming from Pomigliano, after having attended the training school, relied on such Institute for a further biennial course.
On demand by several workers, in the month of June, 1944, by the Armeno branch, a free evening school was founded for the reading of technical drawings.
Here is the text of the internal communication on date 1/6/1944:
We communicate that in order to grant the request of numerous worker, starting from June 6 (prox.) an evening drawing course will be established. Aim of such course is to initiate the personnel into easy reading of technical drawings and, therefore, such a course has an eminently practical nature.
The course is free of charge and the enrolments have to be lodged at the factory entrance.
Classes will take place in a room of Villa Virginia each Wednesday and Friday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Every person enrolled must provide oneself with pencils, gums, rules, compasses, etc.
Teacher will be Prof. G. Scarnati Gatti.
The Alfa Romeo corporate school has been a breeding ground of engineers and workers, by carrying out biennial and triennial courses on mechanics for the youngsters, specialization courses for graduate and qualified engineers. With the birth of the Arese factory and, thus, of the Giulia, it was necessary to “coach” other professional figures like assembly, clothing and mechanical overhaul operators. At the end of the update period, the personnel was dispatched to foreign Alfa Romeo premises to apply modifications to the first series of cars produced.
In 1966, being become by that time International for the sake of professional training of companies of the IRI group, the school was moved to Arese and was a valid reference point for the Professional Training in cooperation with the Personnel Management Office.
It was closed in 1996 like every other training centres run by IRI.
Past Corporate School staff constituted an association whose name is C.A.R.A. (Colleagues of Alfa Romeo and Ancifap) and whose members once a year meet an the occasion of a Holy Mass and a diner during the visit in holiday places.
The school has been left in charge, in chronological order, to Engs. Zeni, Trabucchi and Abruzzese.
Elvira Ruocco
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Translation by Fabio Grandi
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