Training is an extremely important topic for our Group. Thanks to it, we can lay the foundations for a cohesive, flexible and prepared Team, offering people the competences required to carry out a business role optimally. Our intent is to increase the awareness of our values through learning and training, this is possible by sharing the acquired skills and facing daily challenges in the most effective way. 

Lifelong learning: Menarini’s flagship

Until a decade ago, investing on lifelong learning was considered only as a forward-looking advice for the more enterprising companies. Nowadays, instead, it represents the starting point of any winning strategy.

According to the official definition, lifelong learning is the ”ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. Therefore, it not only enhances social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development, but also self-sustainability, as well as competitiveness and employability”.

Ongoing updating and training: this is the new conception of work, and it is also the grounding of  Menarini Group.

A “department” training for all Menarini employees

Gaspare Salmeri, Corporate Training Director of Menarini Italia, has answered some questions on the topic of training and its importance.

Does Training represent an added value for the employee?

«Especially for the new generations (but not only for them!), training represents an important element as it provides the opportunity to grow and train both personally and professionally. Training is absolutely essential for an employee to achieve the own individual and work goals, as well as a strong motivational lever.»

And how important is it for companies like Menarini?

«More and more in today’s society, a company must be attractive to retain employees and welcome new talents: training certainly has a fundamental role in this regard.

For Menarini, training is a tangible and strategic investment which allows for competent resources over time, thus being a value for the Group and managing changes in a constant evolution market.»

How are the trainings organized?

«Every year, each manager must identify the training needs and put forward a tailored training plan aimed at strengthening or developing the skills that each employee needs for his own role. Once authorized, these proposals determine the departmental training plan which can range from technical to professional or managerial training, without forgetting mandatory training (safety, sector regulations, etc.).»

What are the most popular courses?

«The topics responding most of all to our corporate needs are certainly the relationship development and leadership skills; furthermore, considering the international context in which we work, the strengthening of language and public speaking skills are among our priorities. One more rising topic is the project management, for managing complex projects. Last, but not least: the Digital Transformation. We are sensibly investing on it, and its effects will be evident in the medium term.

We have been also participating in the organization of global corporate events, aimed not only at sharing best practices and knowledges, but also aimed at consolidating the Group identity and strengthening the cooperation between colleagues from different countries.»

For over 30 years Menarini training program has developed over time and its training activities has increased to support workers…

«Thanks to the work of our training managers – a team of passionate professionals – we had a considerable increase in the number of courses provided, in the number of hours invested in training and people involved. It can be said that all workers, at least once a year, have taken part in at least one training activity. Clearly there are differences related to the roles, the type of assignment and individual experience.»

Through a suitable training path, it is possible to fill gaps and create the conditions for operating in a new role. How are the skills acquired?

«Menarini Group traditionally tends to privilege the existing talents and therefore internal teaching. For over a decade we have been collaborating with both the University of Florence and with other Italian and foreign universities; there is also a panel of private consultancies which collaborate with us. We choose who to contact on a case by case basis, thus offering our employees the best teachers and the most qualified sources.
Thanks to the contacts established over time we have also started several collaborations with public institutions by offering teaching or availability to host interns or students during their training courses (alternating school-work, as an example).»