In recent days, given the current situation and the intense interest among gelato makers in the labor shortage, Longarone Fiere Dolomiti, in connection with the conference scheduled for the upcoming MIG – International Artisan Gelato Exhibition (November 30 – December 3, 2025), has been discussing, together with education experts, the topic of professional education and training courses for young people interested in entering the world of artisan gelato.
First, it was confirmed that gelato makers are not included among the “Professional figures relating to qualifications for three-year professional education and training courses” required by national legislation. This currently appears to preclude the organization, by Training Centers recognized by the Regions, of three-year courses leading to professional qualifications in the gelato sector.
It was noted, however, that national legislation in the sector allows for the identification, beyond the qualifications required by the National Repertoire, of additional professional figures divided into specific profiles based on local needs.
A review of the Atlas of Work and Qualifications shows that some regions have introduced qualifications aimed at ice cream production into their regulations. This is the case in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Marche, Piedmont, Sicily, Umbria, and Veneto.
In this regard, Giovanni De Lorenzi, CEO of Longarone Fiere Dolomiti, assures that, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation at the next Gelato Exhibition, specific outreach will be initiated to individual regions to provide detailed information regarding these opportunities.
“Being able to organize professional courses for those who want to enter the world of gelato making,” says De Lorenzi, “is crucial to promoting the profession. It’s enough to remember how, every year, young middle school students are bombarded with a whole host of training programs from schools and training centers. In the absence of specific programs for gelato making, it’s therefore extremely difficult to guide young people toward this profession.”
Longarone, July 28, 2025
