ACS Italia has certified the competency of instructors at illy's Università del Caffè

TRIESTE, Italy, Feb. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructors working across the 23 global locations of illy's Università del Caffè have been officially certified by ACS Italia, a skills certification body endorsing their level of knowledge and training proficiency.

All 50 instructors from illy's Università del Caffè, who underwent the accreditation process, have successfully obtained certification. The trainers in Trieste, achieving the highest level of certification, received particular recognition.

Since its establishment in 1999, the Università del Caffè, a center of excellence created by illycaffè to propagate, support, and disseminate the culture of quality coffee globally, has trained 345,000 individuals.

The courses cater to various stakeholders in the production chain, including growers, hospitality professionals, and consumers. The expansion of Università del Caffè branches across continents enables the presence of specialized instructors, addressing local needs from both technical and educational perspectives.

For the growers, the courses are tailored to the demands of the supply chain, enabling them to exchange optimal agronomic techniques applicable to different production regions.

For professionals in coffeehouses, restaurants, and hospitality, the Università del Caffè provides specialized training, regularly updating participants on various coffee preparations and the management and promotion of commercial activities.

For enthusiasts, there are tasting sessions and educational courses available to develop an appreciation for and recognition of the diverse tastes and aromas of coffees worldwide.

Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè, expresses pride in the achievement: "I am proud of the accomplishment of illy's Università del Caffè instructors, a certification affirming the preparedness of our resources and the quality guaranteed by our courses. The Università del Caffè's offerings are designed to meet market needs through comprehensive training that encompasses the entire coffee supply chain. We recognize that ensuring the best sustainable quality requires effective knowledge integration for all operators, from those growing the plant to those preparing the cup of coffee."

Massimo Dutto, General Director of ACS Italia, comments on the collaboration: "ACS Italia has always been committed to valuing the skills required by the market and companies. With illy's Università del Caffè, a structured path has been developed to certify the skills of illy instructors globally. This process demonstrates the company's commitment to external validation and guaranteed by a third-party body. ACS Italia, an accredited and publicly controlled skills certification body, part of the CSQA Group, has ensured the achievement of this important and innovative objective at an international level within the skills certification landscape. Collaborating with illy's Università del Caffè on this innovative project, attesting to the uniformity of skills and the high standard of illy worldwide, was both stimulating and constructive for us at ACS Italia."

ACS Italia, an ACCREDIA accredited Personnel Certification Body, in accordance with the UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17024:2012 standard (Certificate no. 0117PRS), registers illy's Università del Caffè instructors in its international certification registry. Successful candidates who meet all requirements receive certification, with details available on the website www.acsitalia.it.

illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans in the world. Every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafés, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafés and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors.
Since its foundation, illycaffè has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Since 2013 the company is also one of the World Most Ethical Companies. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 125 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Università del Caffè which today holds courses in 25 countries around the world. In 2021, Rhône Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans.
In 2022, the company had 1230 employees and a turnover of €567,7 million. The illy single-brand network has 190 points of sale in 34 countries.

SOURCE illycaffè