From words to deeds. Just five months after being introduced , the new Istituto Tecnico Superiore (ITS), or Higher Technical Institute, dedicated to logistics and transport is really taking shape in Livorno.
The project – the result of a partnership between the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority, the Italian Super Yacht Life foundation (ISYL), project leader of the Viareggio-based ITS for the nautical sector), and the Maremma & Tyrrhenian Chamber of Commerce – has in fact been approved by Tuscany Regional Administration and is set to be officially launched over the next few weeks.
€220,000 will be allocated to the new ITS from the new 2021-2027 programming of the European Social Fund plus (ESF+). The course is aimed at 25 graduates, aged between 18 and 35 (i.e. under 35 on the date of the course enrolment deadline). It is due to start on 30th October.
The project was illustrated this morning at the Port Authority’s headquarters during a meeting attended by port operators, industry representatives, representatives from the educational world and the Maritime Authority, together with stakeholders.
The course will be included among the advanced training courses offered by the I.S.Y.L. Foundation. It guarantees excellent employment opportunities, with 80% of participants being taken on six months after the end of the course and 95% within one year.
The course is designed to train Advanced Infomobility and Logistics Infrastructure Technicians, who will work in the intermodal transport system carrying out area and warehouse coordination activities, planning logistics, goods loading/unloading and passenger embarking/disembarking operations.
“This is an important day for our port and the local area,” said Port Network Authority senior training executive Claudio Capuano. “With this ITS we are going to target not only graduates but also those who, among graduates, are currently unable to find employment”. Mr. Capuano stressed the practical nature of an initiative that seeks to respond to companies’ real employment needs: “Their role will be fundamental and we are certain that they will provide an important contribution in giving a practical format to the training course that we will be planning over the next few days.”
According to Mr. Capuano, the ITS will fill an important gap in the training sector, making the most of the opportunities arising from Livorno having one of the country’s most important ports, which is an intrinsic part of a logistics network that includes Pisa Airport, Guasticce and Prato freight villages, and the Tuscan nautical sector.
The president of the YSIL Foundation, Vincenzo Poerio, was of the same opinion. He spoke of the ITS as a strategic initiative for developing logistics sector professionals: ‘The decision to use ISYL to broaden the range of the types of training on offer was both courageous and effective.” he said. ‘The real challenge now will be to find the 25 young people,” he added, pointing out that to date ITS is still not very widespread in Italy, at least compared to Germany or Europe.
It will be up to schools to successfully guide young students towards new vocational opportunities: ‘The local education dept is strongly committed to soft skills and career guidance programs which we believe will attract more young people” said Livorno’s Head of Education Andrea Simonetti, emphasizing the added value of a training course that “schools are showing great interest in.” He is convinced this initiative “will be extremely beneficial for the city of Livorno.”
Pierluigi Giuntoli, managing director of the Chamber of Commerce, was very satisfied: “Companies are looking for both expertise and advanced-level vocational training. And I believe that this training proposal meets these needs effectively. Today we are launching a training program that will involve port companies from not only from Livorno. We must be ready to work in advance and plan for what will happen in two years’ time’.”
According to local councillor for education, Libera Camici: ‘The new ITS in Livorno is laying the foundations for an advanced training centre. We hope that the training program will have the success it deserves. The support from businesses, but also from schools, will be fundamental.”
Cristina Grieco, president of Indire (the National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Educational Research), was equally satisfied. She said that the new ITS represents an important development opportunity for the local area.
Translation by Giles Foster
