On March 28, 2025, the Dipartimento Lavoro della Regione Calabria and Unindustria Calabria signed a protocol aimed at promoting active labor policies in the region. The signing event was attended by key figures including Giovanni Calabrese, the regional councilor for labor, Fortunato Varone, the director of the Dipartimento Lavoro, and Aldo Ferrara and Dario Lamanna, the president and director of Unindustria Calabria, respectively.
The agreement focuses on three main areas: the implementation of the Padel-Piano delle politiche attive del lavoro, monitoring the Repertorio regionale delle qualificazioni e delle competenze, and the implementation of the Progetto Mirai-Insieme creiamo il futuro, which targets students in the fourth and fifth grades of secondary schools across Calabria.
The Padel-Piano delle politiche attive del lavoro is a comprehensive framework that encompasses various initiatives, including incentives for self-employment, employment, training and skills development, and labor services. This initiative is part of the Pr Calabria Fesr-Fse+ 2021-2027 program.
Under this new partnership, Unindustria Calabria has committed to several collaborative actions with the Regione Calabria. These include promoting discussions regarding the effective implementation of the actions and measures outlined in the plan, supporting the dissemination of initiatives, and monitoring the impact of these actions on the regional productive fabric.
Moreover, the Regione and Unindustria will establish a territorial monitoring system to ensure that the content of the Repertorio regionale delle qualificazioni e delle competenze aligns with the needs of the local business environment. This system aims to analyze existing training pathways and verify their relevance to the demands of local enterprises, identify any gaps in training, and propose new educational paths that meet local production needs.
Additionally, the partnership seeks to facilitate the connection between job demand and supply by collecting and analyzing data on the skills required by businesses and the availability of suitable professional profiles. To further bridge the gap between education and the business sector, Unindustria will organize informational and orientation meetings for young people, in collaboration with the Centri per l’impiego calabresi.
These meetings will provide students with insights into the business world and promote an entrepreneurial culture. They will also aim to equip young individuals with essential economic concepts and entrepreneurial spirit, preparing them to make informed career choices based on real opportunities in the job market.
In a related event on the same day, Alessia Rosolen, the regional councilor for labor, education, and training, addressed participants at the inaugural conference for the project "La cultura del lavoro: divulgare la legalità, il lavoro in sicurezza e la parità di genere" in Pordenone. Rosolen emphasized the need for a more inclusive and competitive labor market, highlighting the ongoing efforts to create a social innovation standard that integrates all measures necessary for improving quality of life, purchasing power, and training.
Rosolen pointed out that investing in human capital and a quality social system is essential for retaining and attracting skilled individuals to the regional workforce. She remarked, "Only by investing in human capital and a quality social system, with the participation of all parties, can we retain and attract skills for the productive system."
During her speech, Rosolen shared impressive statistics, noting that despite demographic challenges and an aging population, the region has achieved a record number of employed individuals, with over 87 percent holding permanent contracts. The average employment rate in Friuli Venezia Giulia has reached 69.8 percent, with female employment increasing to 63.9 percent, effectively reducing the gender gap to 11.6 percent.
Looking ahead, Rosolen assured attendees that the region would continue to work towards further reducing this gap and enhancing the quality of employment. She also highlighted the recent approval of the Programma triennale per il lavoro delle persone con disabilità, which aims to address the needs of disabled individuals in the workforce by implementing targeted measures that respond effectively to their educational and professional pathways.
Furthermore, Rosolen announced that the second Piano triennale sulla sicurezza is set to be approved soon, demonstrating the region's commitment to workplace safety. This plan arises from a clear vision that has positioned Friuli Venezia Giulia as the first region in Italy to include a training pathway in its regional education law.
Both initiatives—the protocol signed in Calabria and the projects launched in Friuli Venezia Giulia—illustrate a concerted effort across regions to enhance labor policies, promote inclusivity, and ensure that the workforce is well-prepared for the evolving demands of the job market.
As these programs unfold, they promise to create a more robust connection between education and employment, fostering a culture of collaboration among educational institutions, businesses, and government bodies. This holistic approach is essential for nurturing the talents of young people and ensuring the region's economic vitality in the years to come.
