Don’t miss the interview with Francesca Merlini and Jessica Di Carlo for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science:

February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The initiative grew out of the first World High-Level Forum on Women’s Health and Development and aims to advance gender equality in education and scientific participation, as part of the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Menarini’s partnership with the ITS Pharma Academy of Rome is a compelling example of how these ambitions can take shape in practice. At a time when the leap from education to employment can feel daunting, the pharmaceutical company is actively preparing a new generation of technicians and specialists – young women among them – to step into production and quality control roles.

This effort sits within a wider push to strengthen women’s presence in STEM. In December 2025, Menarini joined the Virtual Job Meeting STEM Girls, an event that brings women, skills, and employers together. The year’s closing Digital Career Fair drew more than 1,000 young women working in STEM, underscoring the impact of initiatives focused on professional growth and inclusion in technical fields.

Francesca Maienza, Head of Global Quality Control at the Menarini Group, has been the driving force behind the ITS collaboration. Over the past few years she has coordinated the programme from the ground up, becoming a key reference point for students and colleagues alike.

Francesca Merlini, Global CSV Manager, also shared the strengths of this important collaboration.

ITS Academy: Turning Students into Professionals

Italy’s ITS (Upper Secondary Technical Institutes) have emerged as a standout model for workforce-ready training.

As Maienza explains: “They are two-year post-diploma training schools that can be attended alongside, as an alternative to, or after a university degree. Menarini came into contact with the ITS Pharma Academy foundation, and I was asked to cover 120 hours of training for the students. ITS does not rely on academic teachers, but on professionals working in companies. ITS Pharma Academy of Rome has also brought in many specialists who contribute to delivering lessons. The advantage is that students receive highly technical, hands-on training that closely mirrors real workplace operations, and earn a certification at the end, one that doesn’t yet carry university-level recognition, but is expected to soon. As a result, students are trained and ready to enter the workforce and work within pharmaceutical plants, in our case with a particular focus on the quality department”.

This practical focus is what sets ITS apart. These are professionally oriented programmes, co-designed with industry, that equip students not only with theoretical knowledge but with skills they can put to use as soon as they enter the workplace.

“The strength of this program”, explains Francesca Merlini, “is that it relies on instructors who come from the professional world, offering a hands-on approach, concrete examples, and real-life case studies. That’s why the natural conclusion of this course of study is the internship, where students get to apply in a company what they have learned in the classroom”.

A Team of Industry Professionals in the Classroom

The teaching effort drew on a team of fifteen managers and specialists from Menarini’s plants in Florence, Scandicci, Lusochimica, Pomezia, and Menarini Biotech.

“The winning idea was to involve some of the managers from our teams”, Maienza explains. “We built the course together, selecting the most important topics and dividing up the teaching modules. Working as a team made everything more manageable and exciting. Passing on our knowledge to such motivated young people was a unique experience, one we intend to continue in the future”.

The Students’ Perspective: From the Classroom to the Laboratory

Jessica Di Carlo, a student from Molise enrolled at the ITS Pharma Academy, is now interning in Menarini’s Microbiological Quality Control department in Florence. She offers a first-hand account of the experience: “After the initial training period, I had an interview for the internship and was assigned to the microbiological quality control department. Here, I am observing my colleagues’ daily activities: from receiving samples to managing IT platforms, through to analyses such as microbial count testing or water testing. Every day is an opportunity to learn something new”.

Her story highlights just how much technical education gains when theory is paired with real-world practice: “The laboratory part is definitely what I enjoyed the most”, Jessica goes on. “Even the simplest tasks, like calibrating a scale, excited me. I also found the regulatory component very interesting, it made me realise just how regulated and structured the pharmaceutical world is”.

Better-equipped graduates, stronger industry connections

The outcome of this collaboration between education and industry speaks for itself. “The classes bring together students aged 19 to 23”, says Francesca Maienza. “What impressed me most was their readiness and enthusiasm for learning. After two years of study and a six-month internship, 99% of them secure employment. It’s a proven model, one that shapes individuals who are fully prepared to step into the workplace from day one”.

For Jessica as well, the experience was transformative, extending well beyond professional development into meaningful personal growth.

“I came to understand the critical importance of accuracy, meticulous attention to detail, and staying on top of deadlines. Every activity in the lab calls for a strong sense of responsibility and close collaboration with others. I also gained a deep appreciation for proper laboratory conduct, from growing protocols to daily behavior. These may seem like small things, but they are what truly set you apart”.

Investing in the future

Francesca Maienza’s perspective makes one thing clear: Menarini’s partnership with ITS Academy and its participation in programs such as the Virtual Job Meeting STEM Girls are far more than goodwill gestures – they are strategic investments in the future. Companies play an active role in shaping the next generation of skilled professionals, while gaining early access to young talent already aligned with the demands of real-world manufacturing.

For Menarini, this goes well beyond corporate training: it is a shared growth strategy built on investing in human capital and cultivating the robust competencies that the pharmaceutical industry of tomorrow will need.

“These initiatives”, Francesca Merlini explains, “act as a vital link between academic learning and professional life, two worlds that far too often run on parallel tracks. The practical grounding they provide gives students a distinct advantage, enabling them to enter the workforce with real hands-on experience that dramatically shortens their integration into a company”.

Once again this year, Menarini is set to roll out new initiatives, reaffirming its enduring commitment to fostering a more inclusive scientific and technological landscape that actively embraces and empowers women’s talent.