It was presented at the headquarters of Ciofs/Fp – Puglia ets il “Digital Gardens” project, a project selected and supported by Fund for the Digital Republic – Social enterprise, which aims to qualify or retrain unemployed or unemployed people aged 34 to 50 with digital skills, who find themselves on the fringes of work and who reside in Puglia, with a free training course.
They presented the project: Francesco Giuri, CIOFS/FP designer – Puglia ETS and President of the Stella Marina aps Association; Immaculate Militia, president of CIOFS/FP – Puglia; Mariagrazia Efato, president of the SurfHers APS association; Andra Mazziotti, president Visionari ets – aps (online).
The activity, which will propose a first event next May, combines training on digital skills with employment support strategies in modern and Digital Oriented contexts.
Puglia faces one critical situation in terms of unemployment and inactivity, with rates higher than the national average. In the Apulian territory, however, at the moment there is a lack of resources with digital skills equal to 9000 units, also due to the attractiveness that our Region has had towards large Majors in the digital and Tech sector. Therefore, relevant digital skills are needed for new emerging professions in the ICT sector to seize job opportunities in line with these skills and with the needs of the growing market in the area.
The project, in addition to training, includes Job Days and recruiting sessions with leading companies in the digital and non-digital sector, and speeches with international role models. Various sections with graduated in-depth analysis are planned: we start in June with Digital Awaking, an initiative for a real introduction to digital, and then continue with practical and innovative training sessions online and on site.
You will have it a particular eye for women to whom, to encourage their training and return to the world of work, continuous support will be offered through work-life balance services, and the aim will be to increase female participation in STEM disciplines. For everyone, the project will also include internships and internships which will be understood as real pre-employment phases.
Sister Imma Milizia, president of CIOFS/FP Puglia ETS: “In Puglia the gap between the skills required by the labor market and those actually possessed by workers is a constant problem. Giardini Digitali was created to fill this gap, facilitating professional updating and the insertion of inactive talents into the job market who risk being left behind permanently. Giardini Digitali is more than an educational project; it is a community where talents are cultivated and fruits are reaped, creating an environment in which every individual will have the opportunity to flourish professionally.”
Maria Grazia Efato, president of surfHers: “The digital revolution has radically transformed many aspects of our daily lives, from the way we communicate, to the way we shop, to the way we work. A new world full of potential which however leaves behind those who, for one reason or another, do not invest or have not been able to invest in the acquisition of the required skills. We are ready to accompany, with Giardini Digitali, the first 110 people who will decide to make a change in their lives.”
Andrea Mazziotti, president of Visionari: “We transform social challenges into opportunities, using technology as a tool of inclusion. During the Covid-19 pandemic we have developed and distributed 3D printed protective visors, providing essential protections to frontline healthcare workers and converted scuba masks into respiratory assistance devices. We believe that no one should be left behind in the race towards the digital future. With Giardini Digitali we continue our commitment to improving everyone’s lives.”
Francesco Giuri, president of Stella Marina APS: “We make available to the community and the project our contacts collected during the various activities to promote digital skills organized in the area, including the great Bealternative event which brought more than 18 to Taranto in 2019 TOP digital role model. We will include the beneficiaries of the initiative in Erasmus+ programs that we organize every year in Europe to raise awareness of a more international vision of work and the importance of the use of digital for a cohesive development of the European socio-economic fabric”.
The Digital Gardens project was selected and supported by the Fund for the Digital Republic – Social Enterprise. The Digital Republic Fund was born from one partnership between public and private social sectors (Government and Association of Foundations and Savings Banks – Acri) and, on an experimental basis for the years 2022-2026, allocates a total of approximately 350 million euros. It is fueled by payments made by banking foundations. The objective is to increase digital skills and develop the country’s digital transition. To implement the Fund’s programs – which moves within the digitalisation objectives set by the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and the FNC (Complementary National Fund) – the Fund for the Digital Republic was created in May 2022 – Social enterprise, non-profit organization entirely owned by Acri. For more information: www.fondorepubblicadigitale.it.
