Two regional events organised as part of the European PRODIGY project, in Palermo and Reggio Calabria, bring together young people, universities, businesses, employment services and the third sector
In Italy, one in six young people aged between 15 and 29 falls into the NEET category, with a rate of 16.1 per cent compared to a European average of 11.2 per cent. Added to this vulnerability is a lack of career guidance: 57 per cent of young people say they do not have a clear vision of their professional future or of the skills they need to develop. At the same time, the ecological and digital transition is opening up new possibilities: between 2021 and 2025, in Europe, the recruitment of people with green skills grew at almost twice the rate of the uptake of these skills amongst the workforce.
It is against this backdrop that Prodigy. PROmoting Digital and Green Skills for Youth has emerged – a European project funded under ESF+ Social Innovation+, which supports the professional development of young people in transition between education, training and work, with a particular focus on NEETs and young people with fewer opportunities. The project is being carried out by an international partnership comprising Fondazione L’Albero della Vita ETS (lead partner), Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS, Adecco Italia spa and Roma Tre University, together with the European partners ActionAid Hellas in Greece and Partners Bulgaria Foundation in Bulgaria.
In the coming weeks, Prodigy will visit two key cities on the Italian leg of the project, Palermo and Reggio Calabria, with two events organised by the Fondazione Mondo Digitale to showcase the results achieved, strengthen local networks and build new connections between young people, institutions, universities, businesses, employment services and the third sector.
Palermo: inclusion, training and employment
Tuesday 27 October, from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm, the University of Palermo will host the event “PRODIGY Palermo: Dialogues on inclusion, training and employment with local stakeholders”, at the University Campus, Building 2, Lecture Theatre A, on Viale delle Scienze. The event will highlight the results of the European project in the Palermo area and promote dialogue amongst those involved in training, career guidance and the integration of young people into the labour market.
Following the official opening remarks and the presentation of local results, the programme includes four working groups focusing on social inclusion and support for the most vulnerable young people; tools for job seeking; self-employment and innovation; and lifelong learning and equal opportunities. The outcomes of the working groups will be shared in a plenary session, with a final discussion on future prospects involving employment services and the business community.
In Palermo, the programme involved 91 registered participants, 85 of whom were selected according to the project criteria, and led to the signing of 47 educational agreements with young people with an average age of 25.
Through individual guidance and over 100 final certificates, participants were able to strengthen their digital and soft skills, apply what they had learnt and meet partner organisations through interviews and role-plays.
Reggio Calabria: AI, skills and new opportunities
On Thursday 29 October, at the Reggio Calabria Chamber of Commerce, 22 Via Tommaso Campanella, the event ‘Innovation, skills and work: new prospects for the region’ will take place. The event offers local businesses and organisations a forum to discuss new professions, training and the alignment of labour supply and demand.
The programme focuses on the transformations of the labour market in the age of artificial intelligence, with three key sessions: Maps of the Future, dedicated to guidance on new professions; The Toolbox, on training, skills development and the opportunities offered by AI for professional innovation; Value for the Region, on the relationship between available skills and the needs of Calabrian businesses.
In Reggio Calabria, local figures confirm the programme’s success: 86 registered participants, of whom 78 were selected according to the project criteria, 40 educational agreements signed, over 90 certifications awarded, and 17 businesses and local development organisations formally part of the network. The young people involved expressed the highest level of satisfaction, with increased confidence in their professional future and their digital skills.
A European methodology to support young people
Through free online courses, certificates recognised in the world of work, micro-credentials and individual career guidance, PRODIGY supports young people in developing digital, green and transferable skills. The vocational pathways cover roles such as social media marketer, data analyst, sustainability manager and web designer, with skills aligned with the European DigComp and LifeComp frameworks, mapped to ESCO codes and referenced in the Atlas of Jobs and Qualifications.
More than just a single training programme, PRODIGY builds an ecosystem of collaboration between young people, businesses, universities, employment services and social organisations. The events in Palermo and Reggio Calabria thus become opportunities to give back and, at the same time, spaces for shared planning: places where skills meet the needs of local communities and where professional opportunities become more accessible, tangible and within reach.
