Project creates pathway for career success from Ghana to Italy

(MissionNewswire) A group of 15 forklift truck operators arrived in Pordenone, Italy, ready to complete the training course that they started in Ghana. After successfully undergoing advanced technical and language training in the Salesian vocational training centers in Accra and Sunyani, the young professionals went to Italy to strengthen their skills in their chosen field and build a professional future in the logistics sector. This training is part of what’s known as the “Ghana Project 2.”

Michelangelo Agrusti, president of Confindustria Alto Adriatico, an association that helps entrepreneurs, emphasized the effectiveness of a course that combines training, employment and integration. Two companies in Italy are also involved in the project.

Support for the project comes from International Volunteering for Development (VIS), which has taken care of language training certified by the University for Foreigners of Siena and made available psychological support services, cultural mediation, and civic education. These activities have supported the young Ghanaians during their professional and personal growth.

A Salesian said, “This collaborative project, launched in 2024, represents a concrete example of how international cooperation and technical education can open up real opportunities for growth, offering answers to the shortage of skilled labor in Italy and professional prospects for young Ghanaians.”

Salesian programs across Italy help youth who are unable to attend school and others who drop out to work at the few jobs available to them. A growing number of children work as laborers on farms and others have turned to the sex trade to help support their families. Those in poverty often live without adequate shelter, hot water, regular meals and health care.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Italy – With the ‘Ghana Project 2’ young people arriving in Italy to be hired by companies in the North East

Salesian Missions – Italy

World Bank – Italy