Human resources

Officers can be selected by public competitions, open to all Italian citizens for “normal” role (ordinary and air- naval section), and “technical - logistical – administrative” employment, while other positions are open only to applicants already in the service for the “special” section.

Officer training courses are held at the Corps Academy. Ordinary and Air-Naval Officer Cadets attend a five-year course. During their final year they hold the rank of Lieutenant. After completing three years of training they receive a Bachelor’s degree, and at the end of the fifth year a Master’s degree in law.

“Special Section” Officer Cadets attend a one-year course. Technical – logistical - administrative officers attend a course of at least six months.

70% of Inspectors are recruited following a public selection process, while the remaining 30% are selected by competitions open only to internal personnel. The winners are commissioned as Warrant Officers at the end of a two-year training period and obtain a Bachelor’s degree in legal studies (“Operatore giuridico d’impresa”) after a further year of specialization. The internal Inspectors are appointed Warrant Officer following a training period of at least six months.

70% of Superintendents are recruited from the Corporals Agents following a selection process based on qualifications, while the remaining 30% of posts are reserved for the Senior Agents and Agents, chosen by a selection process based on qualifications and examination results. Those passing the procedure are commissioned as sergeants following a training period of at least three months.

Admission to Corporal and Agent ranks in ordinary and marine forces takes place following a public selection procedure reserved for volunteers serving one year (VFP1), four years (VFP4), or re-enlisting officers (VFP1T), either in service or discharged, meeting the prescribed requirements. Admissions to any competition called starting from January 1st, 2016, are open also to civilians, who will be allotted a percentage of available slots. Admission to this category are also open to winners from a competition open only to the relatives of so-called “victims in the line of duty”, and to military athletes enrolled under the terms of Presidential Decree 316 of December 18, 2002. The training programme for newly recruited agents lasts about 10 months.

Since 2000, all competitions have been equally open to women, and since 2006 there is no percentage limit.

Training is an essential investment for the professionalism of the Guardia di Finanza. It is indispensable, both in the initial education phase at the basic institutes and in the subsequent, constant updating throughout the working life of each soldier (lifelong learning).

This last phase is referred to as 'post-training' and aims to give all personnel the tools to maintain, adapt and increase their knowledge in relation to the continuous evolution of the legal, regulatory and structural framework of the Corps' reference scenario.

The satisfaction of these needs requires a considerable financial effort: these are important investments that reverberate their positive effects over time to allow the Guardia di Finanza to always be ready to face the challenges of the reference scenario.

Therefore, in order to minimize training times and costs as much as possible, while maintaining high quality standards for an ever-increasing number of recipients, the Guardia di Finanza has resorted to e-learning in recent years.

Thanks to this teaching methodology, for 2019 it was possible to prepare a training offer capable of involving a total of almost 59,000 learners.

As part of the post training for the Officers of the Corps, there is also a high professional qualification, intended to train the management of the Institution.

In this context, the following courses are provided annually:

• information course for new majors at the School of Economic and Financial Police in Rome - Lido di Ostia;
• advanced course of economic and financial police, lasting two years, held at the School of Economic and Financial Police, which is accessed by competition for titles and examinations;
• Superior Course of Joint Staff - ISSMI, annual, held at the High Studies Centre for Defence, which is accessed by competition for titles and exams;
• advanced Training Course at the Police Training School, lasting one academic year, attended by the newly promoted Colonels, not titled "School of Economic and Financial Police" or "ISSMI", which have achieved the best advancement positions;
• the study sessions of the Institute of High Studies for Defence - IASD, to which are initiated Brigadier Generals and Colonels, lasting an academic year.

The recruitment procedures as well as the basic and specialist training of the staff of the Corps, is managed by the Inspectorate for the Educational Institutions in whose employ they operate:

• the Academy, with offices in Bergamo;
• the School of Economic and Financial Police in Rome - Lido di Ostia;
• the Recruitment Centre, based in Rome – Lido di Ostia;
• the School of Inspectors and Superintendents of l’Aquila;
• the Sport Centre based in Rome – Castelporziano;
• the Legion Students based in Bari and School Employees, whit offices in Bari, Predazzo (TN), Gaeta (LT) and Orvieto (TR), where the Specialization Training School insists.