The Chamber of Commerce of Milan, Monza, Brianza, and Lodi launched the Integra project last year, aiming to train migrant workers for companies in need of staff. Since its launch, the initiative has continued to grow.
The project involves organizations from the tertiary sector and eight trade associations. It provides training to foreign residents in Italy with valid residence permits, while helping companies find skilled workers that are otherwise difficult to recruit.
Most trainees come from Africa, on average 30 years old
In 2024, 154 non-Italian trainees participated in the program, including asylum seekers and refugees. They completed 12 scheduled training courses, and 74 have since entered the job market.
The average age is 30, the majority come from Africa (67 percent), followed by Asia (13 percent), Eastern Europe, and South America (10 percent each).
Training programs have focused on professions such as automotive shop assistants, bar assistants, logistics operators, carpenters, mechanical tool-makers, and dress-makers, while also providing Italian language courses.
In 2025, the objective is to reach 250 persons, selected by the tertiary sector (Farsi Prossimo, Progetto Arca, Soleterre and AVSI). A total of 15 training courses have been planned, and Italian language instruction will be provided to 50 of the participants.
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640 thousand workers will be needed in the next 5 years - report
"With the Integra project, the Chamber of Commerce, with Formaper, offers an answer to the needs of the firms for qualified staff," explained the President of the Chamber of Commerce Carlo Sangalli.
"The objective is to train migrant persons to introduce them to our territory's market. The results are positive. And I believe it is important to underscore that, overall, the training courses are the most efficient way to realize true integration," he added.
According to a report from the Excelsior Information System, Italian companies may need 640,000 migrant workers over the next five years, representing 21.3 percent of total labor demand.
The highest demand is expected in agriculture (35 percent) and industry (28 percent), with key sectors including fashion (45.7 percent), mobility and logistics (29.9 percent), construction and infrastructure (29.4 percent), and commerce and tourism (19.3 percent).