In Partinico, learning takes place in the workplace: the challenge of nurturing talent in Sicily
Skutkiewicz (Magic Engineering): ‘Turning the region’s limitations into opportunities for development’
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Key points
- Developing talent to help local areas grow
- Schools visit companies
- The role of the University
(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – “I could complain about bureaucracy or infrastructure, but I prefer to focus on what I can change. I want to create value from the resources around us.’ This is how Bogdan Skutkiewicz, Polish by birth but Sicilian by choice, describes his vision; he moved to the island in 2002 for family reasons. He chose Partinico, not far from Palermo, as the base for Magicmotorsport, a pioneering company in more ways than one. One of these is precisely the development of talent.
From partnerships with schools and universities to its in-house Academy, the Partinico-based group invests in training to build skills and retain talent. In Sicily, Magic Engineering’s industrial challenge is not measured solely in terms of technology, new markets or investment, but also hinges on its ability to find, train and retain staff. This is a particularly important issue for a technology company that has chosen to keep its headquarters in Sicily whilst expanding into international markets, with offices in Poland, Spain, the United States and China.
CEO Bogdan Skutkiewicz’s approach is based on a pragmatic principle for the company’s transformation, which stems from the expertise developed in the automotive sector through Magicmotorsport (a brand of the Magic Engineering Group) and has gradually expanded into new fields of engineering and energy. Today, Magic Engineering integrates research and development, engineering and production, and possesses expertise in the fields of electronics, software and mechanics. The group operates in around 50 countries with over 120 employees and, in 2025, achieved a turnover of 30 million euros, representing an 83 per cent increase compared with 2021.
However, growth raises a question: where can we find the necessary skills? The answer has been to bring business and training closer together. The first step was the in-house Academy, dedicated both to onboarding new staff and to continuous professional development, with the ambition of transforming it into a recognised training institution. “We have tried to make a small contribution to stemming the brain drain from the island, by bringing some people back and welcoming others from various parts of Italia and the world,” says Skutkiewicz, “to offer young people a reason to envisage their professional future in Sicily as well.”
In recent months, the Partinico site has also opened its doors to Year 5 pupils from the ‘G. Cardano’ Technical Institute in Pavia, to students of Mechanics, Mechatronics and Energy at the “S. Mottura” Institute in Caltanissetta, and pupils from the Salesian CNOS/FAP schools in Palermo. In addition to these initiatives, there were meetings held last year with the Luigi Cremona Vocational Institute in Pavia and the CNOS-FAP schools in Naples, Catania and Palermo.
