Teddy and Fortech team up to train the young IT professionals of the future

From the Gym area, where more than 300 young people are trained each year to take on positions of responsibility in our stores, through growth plans, a structured path to help more than 600 professionals reach their full potential, up to Teddy 500, our business school training the company's talents to become tomorrow's leaders: corporate training permeates every sector and every stage of the career path. 

In 2024, Teddy opened a new chapter: a hybrid training and work placement course for very young people interested in computer programming, in collaboration with the Rimini-based company Fortech, specialising in technological solutions for petrol stations. "The project was inspired by a common desire to train very young talents, to strengthen our ties with the territory and to train talented young people in companies that know how to recognise and exploit their potential", said Daniel Gentili, CTO of Fortech.

The IFTS Apprenticeship Project began at the beginning of the year with the participation in a call for tenders issued by the Emilia Romagna Region, which enabled the realisation of a qualification course for Full Stack Specialised IT Application Technician. The aim of the partnership was to create a real academy for young people interested in working in the IT world. An eight-month course with 400 hours of theoretical training, together with an internship at Teddy and Fortech, aimed at investing in young talents and creating highly qualified professionals already integrated into the company's life.

Nine young people were selected to take part in the project: some were recent graduates from the Technical Institute for Computer Science, others had decided to take a new direction and pursue what had until recently been a hobby; all shared an innate curiosity and a talent for innovation. Matteo, Analysis and Programming Coordinator and Teddy's tutor in the project, says that previous experience was just one of the many requirements to be included in the project: "The selection process evaluated not only technical skills, but also soft skills such as the ability to work in a team, flexibility and proactivity. A second distinguishing feature of the selection was the practical test, which assessed the candidates' ability to face concrete challenges and solve problems autonomously”.

The 400 hours of lectures were followed by an internship at Teddy and in the IT department. Veronica, HR Training Specialist at Teddy, says that young people's training was not limited to learning skills, but was also about welcoming them into the company, from introductory lessons on the company culture to guided tours of the shops to learn about shop procedures: “It was the young people's first experience in such a large company, so the trainers were key to supporting and welcoming them through all stages of their time in the company”. 

The boys were deliberately given two different projects when they joined the company: the first was to create a time-tracking tool to monitor the time spent by colleagues on individual daily tasks; the second was to update the user interface of a software used to manage the content projected on the screens in the store. The aim was to make the screen more intuitive and modern, making it easier to distribute content around the stores. The tasks helped them to develop important skills, but also to become proactive within their team, supporting each other and sharing their knowledge.

From skills development to full integration into the company's culture, Teddy's training also focuses on identifying each newcomer's talents and difficulties, and tailoring their path to help them thrive at work. “The project was much more in-depth than I expected", says Andrea, one of the trainees, "I felt from the start that I was an important person in the company, working on projects to make a positive contribution to my colleagues' daily work: I felt accompanied and supported on a path of continuous growth”.