ITALY: Youth to gain skills in fashion sector
Salesians sign agreement for vocational training in fashion and accessories industry
ITALY
(MissionNewswire) The National Salesian Center for Vocational Training and Ongoing Education (CNOS-FAP) in Italy, which is a network of technical and vocational institutions, and Confindustria Moda, a federation that brings together companies and associations in the textile, fashion and accessories sector, have signed a three-year partnership to promote vocational training in the fashion and accessories industry in Italy and worldwide.
Salesians noted that according to estimates by the CENSIS Research Institute, 1.9 million workers will retire in Italy by 2030, 6% of whom are in the fashion and accessories industry. It is also estimated that at the same time there will be 1.3 million fewer students.
To address employer challenges in finding qualified staff, this new project will promote youth employment in the sector by providing high-quality vocational training. The goal is to attract youth to the field and develop pathways directly to employment.
The project will also focus on international exchange. The Salesian Don Bosco Tech network will facilitate the employment of youth in the fashion and accessories sector who are trained in Salesian schools in their countries.
“This agreement represents the opening of a new front for our Salesian mission,” said Father Giuliano Giacomazzi, director general of the CNOS-FAP. “With it, a strategic collaboration begins with the world of fashion and accessories, which is part of the process of enhancing the value of made in Italy. The hope is to offer girls and boys training and educational support that promises job opportunities and innovation.”
Ercole Botto Poala, president of Confindustria Moda, echoed these sentiments. “The challenge of training is particularly felt today in the fashion and accessories industry, a key driver of the Italian economy, due to the ever-increasing difficulty in finding professionals with the necessary skills in the market. With this collaboration, we are taking an important step forward to help companies in their daily challenges, while also contributing to the noble mission of the Salesians to promote fair integration.”
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.
###
Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
ANS – Italy – Collaboration signed between Confindustria Moda and the Salesian CNOS-FAP Federation
Salesian Missions – Italy
UNICEF – Italy Poverty
