Design and Implementation of a Corporate Academy: The Carraro Group Case Study

The objective of this thesis is to analyze the design and implementation of a Corporate Academy as a strategic response to human capital challenges. The study combines theoretical insights from Strategic Human Resource Management, competence management and organizational learning with an in-depth empirical analysis conducted within the Carraro Group, an Italian multinational leader in transmission systems for off-highway vehicles and specialized tractors. It seeks to address specific research gaps identified in the literature: the limited empirical evidence on corporate academies within a European mid-sized industrial firm, the weak practical integration between competence assessment and corporate learning strategy, and the predominance of training evaluation confined to the early levels of Kirkpatrick’s model. Methodologically, the study combines documentary analysis, direct participation in the development of the project during the researcher’s internship, and engagement with key organizational stakeholders. Overall, the thesis contributes to both academic debate and managerial practice by documenting a replicable pathway through which industrial firms can institutionalize learning, strategically align competence development, and place human capital as a central driver of long-term competitiveness.