Training, guidance and links with the business sector

Last Tuesday, 27 October, the University of Palermo campus hosted the event “Dialogues on inclusion, training and work with local stakeholders”, which marked the conclusion of the local phase of the European project PRODIGY – PROmoting Digital and Green Skills for Youth. Organised by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale together with the Fondazione L’Albero della Vita ETS, in collaboration with the University of Palermo’s Third Mission, AlmaLaurea srl and the Palermo and Monreale Job Centre, the event provided an opportunity to share the results achieved and discuss opportunities for developing new partnerships to promote the social and labour market inclusion of young people.

Training, guidance and support: the results in Palermo
The day began with opening remarks from Barbara Corleo, head of the Business, Institutional and Placement Relations Department at the University of Palermo; Giovanni Vindigni, manager of Service XII at the Palermo and Monreale Job Centre; and Giuseppe Lo Grasso, director of the Palermo branch of Adecco Italia SpA. Monica Guizzardi, representing the Mondo Digitale Foundation, and Carmen Ciccone, representing the L’Albero della Vita Foundation, presented the results achieved in the local area. 
In Palermo, out of 91 registered participants, 85 were selected according to the project’s criteria. 47 educational agreements were signed with young people with an average age of 25, and over 100 training certificates were awarded through programmes based on micro-credentials aligned with the European DigComp and LifeComp frameworks, mapped to the ESCO standard and referenced against INAPP’s Atlas of Work and Qualifications. 
The initiative incorporated four key aspects:

• Flexible and free training, with online courses in Social Media Marketing, Data Analysis, Sustainability Management and Web Design, accompanied by practical exercises and certificates confirming the skills acquired.
• Ongoing mentoring, to monitor participation and support motivation throughout the programme.
• Personalised guidance, through an assessment of technical and soft skills, CV review, interview preparation and support with active job-seeking.
• Engagement with the world of work, through mock interviews, information sessions and opportunities to connect with partner companies.

The aim is to match the skills acquired by young people with professional opportunities, through pathways that take into account individual needs and the demands of the labour market.

The local area as a network of opportunities
The second part of the meeting was dedicated to four technical roundtables, which brought together participants and local stakeholders to discuss social inclusion, job seeking, self-employment, innovation, lifelong learning and equal opportunities. The working groups, facilitated by Pietro Galluccio (Europe Direct Palermo), Corrado Tiralongo (University of Palermo), Sabrina Infuso (JESic) and Marcello Di Vita (Speha-Fresia), provided a forum for discussion on the conditions needed to enhance opportunities for young people and foster greater collaboration amongst local stakeholders.

Building new partnerships for employment integration
The PRODIGY initiative in Palermo highlights the value of an approach that integrates training, guidance and links with the business sector. To consolidate the results achieved and expand opportunities for young people, it is important to strengthen collaboration between institutions, universities, businesses and third sector organisations. 
The Fondazione Mondo Digitale therefore invites companies and organisations involved in local development to engage with the project and consider the possibility of developing joint initiatives to support the integration of young people into the labour market in the Palermo and Sicilian regions.

For information on how to get involved, please write to a.mazzucato@mondodigitale.org