The future of young technicians in SMEs is the title of an opportunity for comparison that has been organized by A.P.I. – Associazione Piccole e Medie Industrie aiming to focus the attention of companies, schools and institutions on a central theme for the re-launching and development of Italian manufacturing in Italy.
“Today’s SMEs must face evolving challenges of the context in which they operate, especially in terms of innovation and internationalization. To prepare young people in an appropriate manner with respect to the needs of companies, to facilitate the meeting between the demand and the job offer, to sensitize the Entrepreneurs to the activation of on the job training courses and the Institutions to streamline the processes of inclusion in the company: these are the main focus of the debate designed to open a dialogue between the parties and promote greater awareness of the concrete needs of the future SMEs “, comments Paolo Galassi, API President who adds,” in a market scenario like in fact, increasingly dynamic and global, focusing on innovation becomes the strategic lever for companies to grow and remain competitive. Young people, with a high level of technical training, will therefore represent a new lifeblood capable of contributing ideas and contents to the evolution of our companies “.
“The advent of Industry 4.0, has led to the emergence of new production paradigms with inevitable impacts on the labor market”, continued Galassi. “Training is an indispensable cornerstone, it is necessary to promote apprenticeship and work school alternation. In fact, it changes the meaning of “skilled worker” in the manufacturing industry, requiring “technicians” with high-level skills. ”
“The costs of training, however, as evidenced by entrepreneurs, burden, for the most part, on companies. Our aim, as an Association, is to encourage an open and continuous dialogue between companies, schools and institutions, in order to work together to promote a culture that values talents, which will begin their professional career in the world of SMEs. ”
Data collected in May and June show that about 42% of companies have difficulty in finding suitable professional figures on the market to meet their operational needs. Among the most sought after profiles stand out: specialized workers (28%), mechanical experts (24%), graduates in the technical-scientific area (16%) and staff with marketing and communication skills (12%). Among the most significant data, about 25% of respondents make up for this lack through direct training in the company, 22% go to APIs, 18% to employment agencies, while 14% go to local ITS.
58% of the sample is said to be interested in hosting young technicians through training alternatives to school / work, internships and internships, especially in the logistics / production areas (45.5%) and research and development (21%). Despite this, there are still many barriers that hinder its application, among the most significant the difficulty of managing minors in the company, the lack of space to accommodate students and staff to devote to their training.
For the 2018-19 training year, considering the apprenticeship allocation, the financial allocation will be 11.75 million euros. We believe that, with your involvement, the qualitative growth and the multiplication of these paths will remain the most productive way to solve the problems of employment in our Region “, concluded Assessor Rizzoli.
