DOC

Every year, we select the most promising students from our region. We call them DOC—just like the finest grapes chosen to produce the best wines.

This marks the beginning of a two-and-a-half-year journey that combines classroom learning with hands-on experience. The goal is to provide new hires with the tools they need to understand the knowledge enterprise, envision their future, and become knowledge workers. It is during this time that theoretical knowledge turns into practical skills, students become professionals, and the early years of work enrich not only their résumés, but their personal growth as well.

“Study or work? Who do I want to become? What skills will be needed in the future?” The DOC program helps new team members find answers to these questions by testing their abilities in the field, giving them the chance to explore and shape their talents along the way.

The aim is to train the professionals of the future by immersing them in real work challenges, exposing them to demanding clients, experienced mentors, and stimulating international environments. This is how true growth happens.

Alongside work, there is a structured training program divided into three key areas: managerial training, business culture, and technical training. Managerial training has been a cornerstone of Loccioni since the 1980s, transforming a small artisan business into a company founded on shared values and distributed responsibility. Business culture dives into the roots of the Loccioni project and the genius loci that inspires it. Technical training grows with each individual, project by project, through on-the-job learning. A vital role is played by internal instructors—the “masters of work”—who pass on both skills and values, along with clients and partners who contribute knowledge and innovation.

The journey begins with a Welcome Day, where newcomers learn the rules of the house, followed by RAF – “Return to the Future”, an introductory masterclass that guides participants from the origins to the future of the company through the voices of those who live it every day. Participants explore the company’s projects, evolving skills, organizational structure, core values, and vision for the broader Loccioni ecosystem.

During this initial phase, the DOC2DOC program also takes shape—a peer-to-peer training on company values and managerial culture, guided by the Quaderno di Cultura Manageriale (2019, Desiderio Editore), a book that compiles thirty years of managerial insights by Lombardi–Varvelli at Loccioni. The book becomes a springboard for dialogue, reflection, and connection at the start of each participant’s professional life.

The following twelve months focus on developing the “I”—personal potential, soft skills (communication, negotiation, time management), and interpersonal abilities. With the support of expert trainers, participants work on building professional self-awareness, strengthening their talents, addressing weaknesses, and cultivating passion and motivation. During this stage, basic technical training is also provided, with a focus on project-based work: managing client relationships, supplier coordination, and technology integration.

The second year is dedicated to the “We”: training emphasizes teamwork and the development of leadership. In the knowledge enterprise, there are no bosses—only leaders, who discover and apply their qualities through collaboration and, when appropriate, through team management. In this way, the organization continually benefits from fresh energy—people who take responsibility and care for others, the most valuable asset of the company. During this period, personal interests and professional passions take clearer shape, and advanced technical training deepens knowledge of technology and market trends.

Participants in the DOC program are asked to keep a journal—weekly, monthly, or quarterly—to track their technical and managerial growth. It is a valuable tool that remains meaningful over time.