Qualified workers are increasingly difficult to find even in Piedmont, especially if skills are required to work in the world of artificial intelligence. There are 125 thousand micro and small businesses that have already crossed the frontiers of artificial intelligence, out of a total of 134 thousand Italian companies that are pioneers of AI. But their race in the digital transition is held back by the difficulty of finding qualified personnel. Out of 449 thousand workers with high e-skills 4.0 requested by companies, 246 thousand are missing, equal to 54.9%.
In general, the shortage of qualified personnel is indicated as the most serious problem by 58.1% of MPIs in our country, compared to 54.1% of the EU average. According to the Confartigianato report, artificial intelligence is used by small entrepreneurs especially for IT security needs, control of access to places, data or services, maintenance of machinery and vehicles, optimization of the use of energy and raw materials, waste treatment and management of logistics, automation of production processes and accounting and finance applications, automation of online sales functions of goods and services and applications in prevention, diagnostics and medical treatments.
The alarm was raised by Confartigianato with a report from the Research Office. According to the Confartigianato report, as regards the difficulty in finding manpower expert in artificial intelligence, the worst situation is recorded in Trentino Alto Adige where 67.2% of workers with high demand for advanced digital 4.0 skills necessary for SMEs cannot be found ( 9,330 out of 13,890). Closely followed by Friuli Venezia Giulia, where 65.2% of personnel are missing ready to deal with AI (4,800 out of 7,360) and Umbria with a share of 63.8% (2,980 out of 4,670). Also suffering from the shortage of staff with e-skills are Veneto with 20,270 ‘unavailable’ out of 34,590, equal to 58.6%, Emilia Romagna (17,910 out of 30,810, equal to 58.1%) Lombardy (46,930 out of 81,020, equal to 57.9%) e Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta (16,720 out of 28,910, equal to 57.8%).
As regards, however, the difficulty in finding workers with basic digital skills, in Piedmont and Val D’Aosta, 51.1% of the workers needed by SMEs cannot be found (24,300 out of 47,530).
While for mathematical and IT skills and methods in Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, 55.7% of workers cannot be found (20,270 out of 36,360). The difficulty of finding qualified labor worsens with artisan businesses: in Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, 58.3% of workers with high demand for advanced digital 4.0 skills cannot be found (3,180 out of 5,450); for manpower with basic digital skills, 62.9% of workers cannot be found (3,090 out of 4,910) and for mathematical and IT skills and methods, 60.00% of workers cannot be found (3,350 out of 5,580).
“The shortage of staff with the right skills is holding back the ecological and digital transitions and is indicated as the most serious problem by SMEs in our region – he comments Dino De Santis, President of Confartigianato Imprese Torino – for our companies the difficulty in finding qualified workers far outweighs the problems of bureaucracy, access to credit and unfair competition”.
“The main reasons for this situation are the demographic crisis, determined by the birth rate and aging, and then the educational path: a part of the available candidates shows an inadequate scholastic preparation, while almost a third of the available places find it difficult, or not at all, who occupies them – he adds De Santis – then there are inactive young people, i.e. young people who do not study and are not available to work, for family reasons, discouragement in looking for work, delay in university studies, public subsidies. And of course there is also undeclared work”.
“The shortage of qualified personnel in AI – he concludes De Santis – it is an emergency that must be addressed immediately with an adequate training policy. Otherwise we risk only suffering the risks of the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market, without being able to seize the opportunities for new employment offered by companies. The competitiveness of small entrepreneurs is also at stake, committed to using AI with artisanal intelligence to enhance the Made in Italy quality of their production”.
