Agreement between the Lombardy Region and Fondimpresa on training and active labour market policies

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - The Lombardy Region and Fondimpresa join forces to support training and active labour market policies. With the aim of promoting a highly integrated model linking the worlds of training and work, to ensure high-quality training programmes that are specifically geared towards positive and stable employment outcomes, the Region and Italia’s largest inter-professional fund – established by Confindustria, CGIL, CISL and UIL, have signed an agreement implementing the Memorandum of Understanding for the promotion and enhancement of training provision across the region. The aim is thus to bridge the gap between the actual needs of businesses and the skills on offer, thereby fostering opportunities for entry into the labour market and continuous professional development. In particular, the agreement stipulates that, over the next three years, the Lombardy Region estimates that it will allocate at least 150 million euros to initiatives consistent with the Agreement and, as always, Fondimpresa’s National Annual Programme relating to the System Account will not be less than 200 million euros.

“With this agreement, we are strengthening a model of collaboration that puts people, skills and work at the centre. We are the first region to sign an agreement with the funds within the institutional framework renewed by the Ministry of Labour’s guidelines for the funds, which facilitate forms of cooperation between the funds, regions and the State, with a view to a new governance framework for initiatives relating to active labour market policies and training,” explained Simona Tironi, Regional Councillor for Education, Training and Employment. “The Lombardy Region continues to invest in training that is increasingly tailored to the real needs of businesses, because it is only through constant dialogue between institutions, the business sector and the social partners that we can create quality employment and support the competitiveness of our region,” continued Tironi, specifying that this work will be taken to the ‘Conference of Regions, so that we can discuss the matter and put forward a unified proposal for collaboration with the Government aimed at implementing the 2028–34 European Programme’. For the councillor, “the partnership with Fondimpresa represents a concrete step towards making active labour market policies even more effective, promoting the continuous updating of skills, labour market integration and the professional development of workers at all stages of their lives”.

“The agreement signed marks a turning point in the sector; it is the culmination of a process launched over a year ago by the Lombardy Region towards inter-professional funds, which 11 funds have so far been considering, but Fondimpresa is the first – and also the most important – to bring this plan to fruition with an ambitious and concrete commitment,” said Fondimpresa’s president, Aurelio Regina. “The example set by Lombardy – a region that often leads the way in setting laudable objectives – can open up a new path in the funding of training projects and act as a trailblazer for many other regions wishing to make a tangible contribution to improving active labour market policies,” continued Regina, explaining that “Fondimpresa intends to pool its more than 20 years of experience and put itself forward as an intermediary coordinating body for spending on continuing training. We need to find solutions that allow the available funds to be spent effectively and promptly, combining the operational agility of the social partners – such as Confindustria, CGIL, CISL and UIL – with significant European and regional funding, to make training the true driving force of industry.”

In particular, at the heart of the initiative is the aim to strengthen and broaden workers’ skills, providing them with the tools they need to navigate the current period of major transformation affecting all sectors of the economy. Specifically, the Region and Fondimpresa are committed to strengthening the integration between regional active labour market policies and the initiatives of the Inter-professional Funds for Continuing Education, to improve the quality and relevance of training provision, aligning it with the practical needs of Lombardy’s productive sector, and to enhance the professional skills of both those in employment and jobseekers, whilst simultaneously boosting the competitiveness of businesses. The agreement also includes a series of coordinated measures designed to support individuals throughout all stages of their educational and working lives, based on a principle of strong complementarity and continuity, and to broaden the range of workers and businesses involved in refresher and reskilling programmes. The agreement will take effect from the date of its signing, 14 July 2026, and will remain valid until 31 December 2028.