The insurance company Generali and its charity arm, The Human Safety Net, are to provide training to hundreds of refugees and migrants in Italy to work in the social welfare and healthcare sectors.
Presenting the project in Rome on October 1, Generali Insurance announced that migrants from 18 different countries will receive support to learn the Italian language and to have their school certificates recognized so that they can obtain the necessary professional qualifications.
The trainees are to work in facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and residential care homes in Lombardy, Lazio, and Emilia Romagna.
Addressing 'crucial challenges'
"This professional training and labor inclusion project is aimed at the two most crucial challenges of our time, demographic transformation and migration, and it is the result of a private-public partnership that we firmly believe in," said the president of Generali Insurance, Andrea Sironi.
Around a quarter of Italy's population is over the age of 65, and this figure is estimated to increase by ten percentage points to 34 percent by 2050, while the number of professional caregivers is only 1.2 million, according to Sironi.
Since 2019 The Human Safety Net and Generali have provided professional training to 1,200 people in the health sector and other fields. 470 people have got related jobs.
The new project was launched in January 2024, and it will end in June 2026. The initiative currently supports 100 beneficiaries who are now undergoing internships, having completed the theoretical training.
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The Human Safety Net in 26 countries
"Let's see if this model works, then we'll aim to implement it with other partners," said Emma Ursich, the secretary general of The Human Safety Net.
Building a more inclusive and supportive society
According to the country general manager of Generali Italy, Gianluca Perin, this is "a project with great social impact that aims to provide its contribution to building a more inclusive and supportive society, that allows people to look into the future with trust."
"Generali has a long-term vision for the firm has (...) which includes the concept of 'giving back'," he added.
The Human Safety Net foundation was created by Generali Insurance in 2017. It is active in 26 countries with a network of 77 NGOs and social enterprises as partners.
So far the foundation says it has helped 490,000 people globally, of which 482,000 are children and parents and nearly 8,000 refugees. Through the program for refugees, The Human Safety Net has contributed to the creation of over 500 start-ups.