The first integrated and distributed training ecosystem dedicated to craft trades in Italy.

Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze (KApE) is a strategic initiative of the Kering Group dedicated to training the new generation of artisans of Excellence. It is not a school in a single building but a national network: it connects the prestige of the Group's Houses (Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Pomellato, and Ginori 1735) and Kering Eyewear with the expertise of the best academies and vocational institutes rooted in the areas where Italian excellence is actually made. Its coordinating headquarters is in Milan's MIND district, alongside a digital platform that shares standards, content, and opportunities with the whole network.

The goal is to pass on the "intelligence of the hands" and project it into the future: craft knowledge is combined with new technologies, new materials, and artificial intelligence, so that a craft becomes a profession able to move around the world.

Leave your details in the form on this website, telling us which area interests you and your current situation: student finishing lower secondary school, high school graduate, or professional already working in the sector. We will be happy to reply with all the information you need to enroll and to guide you toward the network school and the program best suited to your profile.

Selection is managed by the network schools and the Houses, under the supervision of the Academy: the network is open to everyone and admission takes place through a selection process based on aptitude, in line with the requirements of each program. For 2026–2027 some programs have already started, while other formats (IFTS, ITS, upskilling, masterclasses) follow different calendars: contact us and we will tell you which admissions are still open and when those for the following year will open.

The offer is designed to meet different needs throughout an entire professional career:

• IeFP programs (Vocational Education and Training). Four years, from age 14: professional qualification (EQF 3) in the third year and professional diploma (EQF 4) in the fourth.
• IFTS (Higher Technical Education and Training). 800–1,000 hours over about 12 months, for high school graduates and adults; half in the classroom and workshop, half in a company internship. Higher technical specialization certificate (EQF 4).
• ITS Academy. Two years and 2,000 hours, 880 of which are internship. Higher technician diploma (EQF 5), the highest level of Italian vocational education.
• Upskilling. Intensive one-day, one-week, or one-month programs for professionals already working in the sector who want to update or specialize their skills.
• Reskilling. Three- to six-month programs for those coming to luxury craftsmanship from adjacent sectors.
• Masterclasses. Single-topic sessions led by masters and experts, for professionals and advanced students; open enrollment or by invitation.

All formats include a cross-disciplinary curriculum: artificial intelligence and digital tools applied to craftsmanship; sustainability and circular materials; luxury brand culture; and entrepreneurship and atelier management. Depending on the program, teaching may take place in person, online, or in hybrid mode.

It depends on the format. IeFP programs are open at the end of lower secondary school, from age 14. IFTS programs are open to adults with an upper secondary school diploma or an IeFP qualification. ITS programs are open to holders of an upper secondary school diploma. Upskilling, reskilling, and masterclasses are aimed at professionals and advanced students, with no age limits.

No previous experience is required for entry-level programs: what matters is a vocation for craft and aptitude, assessed during selection together with the school and the relevant House. Each program may have specific requirements linked to the funding program that supports it: we will let you know when you first get in touch.

The Academy is organized into seven main areas, each rooted in the know-how of one or more of the Group's Houses:

• Jewelry. Stone setting, goldsmithing techniques, jewelry design, gemology.
• Leather goods. Bag construction, shoemaking, intrecciato weaving, advanced leather techniques.
• Footwear. Study of footwear design and development techniques, from last construction to technical pattern-making. In-depth look at prototyping, assembly, finishing, and product industrialization processes.
• Tailoring. Ready-to-wear, haute couture, bespoke tailoring, pattern-making, hand finishing.
• Ready to wear. Product development activities, design, pattern-making, prototyping, production, and quality control stages.
• Eyewear. Frame design, choice of materials, production techniques.
• Fashion Communication and Management. Study and application of the languages and tools of communication applied to fashion.

Three further areas (Ceramics and Porcelain, Clienteling and Retail Excellence, and Hospitality Service) are in preparation and will open in the coming academic years.