The fifth edition of the short master on finishing organised by Poliefun will start on Monday, 17 September. As the President of Poliefun, we have asked Professor Paolo Gronchi to present this training event.

This will be the fifth edition of our short master. The programme will include several training modules. Why? And what are the “unavoidable” topics?

The programme has been conceived based on previous years’ experience and on the fact that the success achieved has led other companies to ask to participate by enrolling their engineers and offering events.

As for the topics, it should be considered that the treatment of metal surfaces is a multi-stage process subject to continuous innovation. I do not think that one stage is more important than another: they all serve a purpose. On the other hand, in some sectors the production chain is innovated more frequently and, therefore, attention must be paid to these industries, such as automotive and architecture. Finally, another “unavoidable” topic nowadays is sustainability (environmental, economic, and social).

What would you say to the finishing sector companies to clarify the importance of this short master? How would convince entrepreneurs to enrol their employees?

This is a big problem: companies look for qualified employees while trying to train them for free. This is not possible. I am not an economist, but I think that every penny spent in training translates into benefits in terms of technical progress and competitiveness. Of course, this happens with time. The word “immediately” does not go well with “training”, just as “free” does not go well with “advanced training”.

Students access to the short master free of charge. This is an admirable choice, but how can they be informed and involved?

Through the courses in which we teach, word of mouth, and social media.

The programme shows the results of the effective support and collaboration of different companies and associations. Does this prove that the whole sector is aware of the importance of a short master on the protection and finishing of metal surfaces? Or these companies would have offered their help regardless of the subject matter?

Companies want to know their future employees. All the major players have been aware of this for a long time now, while several small firms seem blind and focussed on immediate gains, so that they do not act, or they do not do enough.

Which word or phrase would you use to describe this short master?

Metal surface rock music.