CNA Toscana Centro today presented the third mismatch report 2024 based on data fromFuturArti investigation conducted with CNA Toscana, in collaboration with Simurg Researchon the topics of education, professional needs and generational transition.
The event, introduced by the president of CNA Toscana Centro, Claudio Bettazzisaw the presentation of the data by Moreno Toigo (Simurg Research), Chiara Nencioni (responsible for trade union, work and training area of CNA Toscana) e Giacomo Buonomini (responsible for training policies of CNA Toscana Centro). The conclusions were entrusted to the video host of the event Alessandra NardiniTuscany Region councilor for education, professional training, university and research, work.
This year’s novelty was the extension of the investigation to a regional level, through the “FuturArti” project coordinated by CNA Toscana on companies and schools in collaboration with Simurg Ricerche. A large-scale work that involved the entire Tuscan territory as a whole 3300 subjects: specifically around 1,520 total companies, of which 289 associated with CNA Toscana Centro and 1,858 total students of which 321 from the schools of Prato and Pistoia.
The key theme of the Mismatch 2024 report is: shortage of workers or shortage of skills? The problem is twofold and the required response must be divided into actions to support integration (migrants, young NEETs) and better education and professional training (high added value and qualified jobs).
The survey data
The labor market in the provinces of Prato and Pistoia is characterized by a high presence of workers employed in the manufacturing sector. According to Istat data, in 2021 the manufacturing sector represented the 24.7% of the overall added value of the province of Prato and the 19.5% than that of Pistoia.
Small and medium-sized businesses represent the vast majority of the productive fabric and the manufacturing companies in the area demonstrate growing needs for workers with specific skills and updated, capable of responding to the challenges posed by technological innovation and digitalisation. At the same time, important needs still exist ensure turnover with workers assigned to low added value and routine processes.
In this scenario, the labor market in the area is still characterized by a high youth unemployment, with rates exceeding 20% in the province of Prato and 15% in that of Pistoia. Youth unemployment is partly due to lack of specific skills and updated requests from manufacturing companies, but also to the lack of knowledge of the labor market and of professional training and updating opportunities.
Jobs are increasing (6 thousand new positions already created in the area) e unemployment drops in the territories of Pistoia (6.5%) and Prato (5.7%). 48.8% of the companies interviewed confirmed that they had hired during the year.
The contribution of foreign workers it is represented by 30.6% of the total workforce in the province of Prato and by 15.3% in that of Pistoia. You register a significant increase in the flow of migrants at a regional level, with an increase of 16.0% compared to the beginning of the year and a total of 8,263 migrants welcomed in June 2023 throughout Tuscany. Unfortunately, however, there is a chronic lack of a policy aimed at stimulating public structures and effective initiatives dedicated to the integration of migrants and vulnerable groups towards employment, except for some virtuous local experiences.
There are a total of around 5 thousand students who have graduated from technical and professional paths related to manufacturing alone, of which only 25% have chosen and will choose to enter the world of work directly, about a fifth is uncertain and will choose only after graduation, in fact historical data indicate that 20% of graduates leave the education and work system at least for the first few years, increasing the number of young people without employment or active in education.
On the results of technical and professional study courses related to manufacturing, in the province of Pistoia, 2 thousand diplomas were obtained, while in Prato, the order of measurement is around 3 thousand students who successfully completed their upper secondary school course. As regards the choice that students have made in choosing work or university, according to AlmaLaurea data, in the territories of our interest 55% of high school graduates with a technical orientation he chose to continue his studies at universitywhile 25% chose to enter the world of work, equal to approximately 1,250 young people.
There remains approximately 20% who have chosen (or not chosen) not to undertake some of these paths, leaving, at least for an initial phase, the education and work system and this is one of the causes of the increase in NEETs on which we need to work for specific orientation and integration towards the world of work.
On the front of the generational change the “FuturArti” survey gives us a scenario in which over 50% of the students interviewed (900 in Tuscany and around 160 in the provinces of Pistoia and Prato) evaluate the prospect of starting a business activity as interesting, while on the of the company the sensitivity is more complex:
- 62.9% of the businesses interviewed have belonged to the owner’s family for only one generation
- 44.4% of companies declare that they are in the process of managing the need for a generational transition
- the problem of generational transition still remains a concern for entrepreneurs, in fact 65.5% consider it a “difficult but surmountable obstacle”
The priority of CNA Toscana Centro for skill needs in businesses have developed on the following themes
- A different approach to immigration
- Actions to encourage new entrepreneurship
- The Neet phenomenon and the resulting initiatives
- Vocational Education and Training (IeFP)
- ITS
- Support for apprenticeships
- Implementation of the measures agreed upon by the territorial tables of the regional Tripartite Commission
- The relationship between businesses and the scholastic world
- Support for Chamber of Commerce initiatives regarding support for training and employment
- ESF programming and regional professional training
- Territorial laboratories for professional training
Tags: Central Tuscany mismatch report presented
