The focus of “Distretto Italia” is to insert into the working world, through active orientation and training policies, people at risk of poverty and marginalization and individuals receiving social support measures including beneficiaries of the “inclusion check” activatable by work. The agreement was signed on Monday, June 26, between the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, Anpal Services and ELIS, together with companies that are members of Distretto Italia, including our Group.
An initial analysis of the employment needs of the 45 companies involved found that there are 10,000 vacant positions in Italy in sectors such as energy, telecommunications, construction and digital transformation. The Distretto Italia technical-specialist training courses came from listening to this need and providing young women and men not only with the knowledge and tools needed to access a professional qualification but also tangible opportunities for job entry thanks to the companies that are part of the network. In just a few months from its inauguration, this partnership has already demonstrated its potential. Since last April, when the first free training courses began for fiber optic installers, software programmers, site managers and electrical installers, about 2500 applications have been received on the Distretto Italia website, and about a hundred young people have already been trained and placed in the working world.
It is an ambitious project that can now also count on the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies and of Anpal Services, thanks to the agreement that was officially signed by Minister Marina Elvira Calderone, creating a direct channel for public and private collaboration at the national level.
Marina Calderone underscored the government’s interest in promoting this high-profile initiative capable of generating cross-sector benefits. “Usually we talk about the jobs that are not there, or the difficulty of finding work. But instead, here we have flipped the paradigm and we are talking about the jobs that are there and the goal of getting as many young people as possible involved in that work. We need a comprehensive strategy to ensure that all the points and links in our chain function. On the one hand, identifying tools that support those in fragile conditions. On the other hand, supplying training and jobs with the big challenge of bringing onto the team all those who have a chance to make a difference. And I believe that you will be powerful players in this role. Your numbers speak to this. Companies believe in the project, and young people and their families are placing trust in your training courses,” declared the Minister.
Making a difference is possible by working as a team. This is the concept at the foundation of Distretto Italia and also the theme of the speech at the event by our Head of Country Italy, Nicola Lanzetta, who presented the example of the positive case of Energie per Crescere (Energy for Growth). Through the program run together with ELIS, we are training thousands of young people in the fields of grids and renewables who will then be inserted directly into the working world thanks to the successful collaboration with our partner companies.
The mission of Distretto Italia is perfectly coherent with the system of values and goals that guide our Group’s activities to stimulate the growth of Italy by fostering collaboration between schools, universities, employment agencies, institutions and businesses to enhance the skills and talents of young people, empowering them to follow their passions and become the leaders of tomorrow.