Opening event

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.

The Academy was created to make excellence accessible. IeFP, IFTS, and ITS programs are part of the public education and vocational training system and are supported by public funding: in most cases there is no tuition fee for the student, or only a contribution according to the rules of the Region and of the school delivering the program.

Upskilling, reskilling, and masterclass programs have specific conditions, communicated at the time of enrollment. When you write to us, we will tell you exactly what the financial conditions are for the program you are interested in.

Not necessarily. Training takes place mainly in the network schools, spread across the country and close to the luxury production districts.

MIND is not the permanent venue for the courses: it is the hub where the Academy organizes masterclasses and intensive training sessions with master artisans and House professionals, attended by students from across the network. The updated list of schools and locations is in the network section of this website.

We created the network precisely to bring training closer to local communities and reduce the need to relocate. If the program you are interested in is still far from home, the relevant school will help you find accommodation: each location operates in its own city and knows the residences, colleges, and facilities it works with.

Tell us on the form where you are from and which program interests you: we will put you in touch with the school, which will give you all the practical information, including any active agreements and available benefits.

At the end of the program you receive two credentials. The first is the official qualification of the chosen format (IeFP professional qualification or diploma, IFTS higher technical specialization certificate, ITS higher technician diploma). The public education and training system issues it, and Italy and Europe recognize it (EQF levels 3, 4, and 5). The second is the Kering Accademia per le Eccellenze certificate, which attests distinctive skills in line with the quality standards of the Group's Houses.

The public system guarantees legal value; Kering amplifies competitive value. The qualifications also allow you to continue your studies: from the IeFP qualification to IFTS and ITS, and from the ITS diploma to university, with recognition of training credits.

The Academy does not guarantee employment and does not train exclusively for the Kering Group: you can use the qualifications and skills you acquire across the luxury and fashion supply chain. What we offer is a program built together with the Houses: the opportunity to do a structured internship at a Kering House or partner company, from a minimum of 400 hours in IFTS programs up to 880 hours in ITS programs, with direct feedback from supervisors, teaching by Group professionals, and visits to ateliers and production sites. Recruiters value knowing the Houses' production processes and standards from the inside.

All students receive support and guidance for entering the workforce; we give priority access to open positions in Kering Group companies to the most deserving. Our goal is to increase, in every region of the network, the employment rate within six months of graduation.

The teaching staff consists of qualified professionals in the crafts and production processes of luxury and fashion. Three figures work together in the classroom and workshop: teachers and trainers from the network schools, who ensure the continuity of the program; master artisans and technicians from the Group's Houses, who bring the know-how of those who practice excellence every day (each specialty includes teaching hours that House staff deliver); and external experts whom we select for specific skills, particularly in new materials, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. The Houses and the Academy jointly select teachers on three criteria: technical skills, professional experience, and the ability to pass on know-how in a structured training context. On top of this come masterclasses at MIND and at network locations, and ongoing training for trainers, so that those who teach also keep pace with how the crafts evolve.

The Academy is not only for beginners: we designed part of the offer for those who are already artisans, technicians, or professionals in the supply chain. There are three options. Upskilling: intensive one-day, one-week, or one-month programs to update or specialize a skill (a technique, a material, a digital tool). Reskilling: three- to six-month programs for those coming to luxury from an adjacent sector who want to bring their craft up to the standards of high-end manufacturing. Masterclasses: single-topic sessions with masters and experts, open enrollment or by invitation.

If you are looking for a recognized qualification, the IFTS program (about one year, half in the classroom and half in a company) is the natural step for those already working in the supply chain who want to certify their skills at EQF level 4. You can take many of these programs in hybrid mode or online through the Academy's platform and, depending on the case, fund them through continuing education programs. Write to us with your current role and the goal you want to achieve: we will suggest the most suitable format.

Yes, inclusion and accessibility have been part of the project from the start. We created the Academy so that every young person can access quality programs without their place of origin or background being a limitation: that is why it is a network spread across the country rather than a school in a single city, and why we base selection on aptitude rather than prior experience. We also design the spaces, starting with the Kering Lounge at MIND, as open, barrier-free places where students, masters, and professionals meet on a footing of genuine exchange.

The network schools operate within the public education and vocational training system and meet its standards: accessibility of spaces and workshops, safety, protection of minors and personal data, personalized support for students with disabilities or specific learning disorders, and attention to young people furthest from the job market. Teamwork, a culture of diversity and sustainability are also part of the cross-disciplinary curriculum of every program. If you have specific needs, write to us: we will put you in touch with the partner school to explore the available solutions together.