Luxury and digital, a network to train new talent

Skills, the watchword that unites profit and non-profit in actions aimed at young people. On the business front, one example is the Adopt a School project, an initiative by Altagamma - in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit and with the patronage of the European Commission, a bridge between technical vocational schools, Its Academy and luxury companies.

In the current edition, until June, 27 new brands entered for the first time and the number of participants is booming. But for the fifth edition in the 2025/2026 school year, which will start in September, the aim is to increase the number of companies and schools involved. In four years, the project has involved 59 companies, 65 schools, more than 250 classes and has seen the participation of over 3,500 students in 12 Italian regions.

This is how Stefania Lazzaroni, general director of Altagamma, put it: "Adopt a School stems from Altagamma companies' indication of a high need for manufacturing professions: the sector is growing worldwide, while the Italian birth rate is slowing down. Our project responds to this need, creating a closer link between brands and schools, making these trades more attractive and enhancing professional opportunities for families, young people and Neet. The students work with companies, their professionals andmaster craftsmen from different sectors - fashion, design, food, motors, hospitality, boating and jewellery - gaining valuable expertise and having the opportunity to access internships and work placements, as in the past. We believe that excellent Made in Italy is also protected byspecialised training and the necessary transmission of those manufacturing and creative skills in which our country stands out, producing80% of luxury goods worldwide'.

On the Third Sector front, an example is Distretto Italia, launched in 2023 by the non-profit organisation Elis. It continuously creates new courses at the request of companies and has enabled the training and professional insertion of over a thousand young people through free courses, divided into the Schools of Trades: Energy and Data, Transport and Mobility, Commerce, Major Works, Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, and Catering.

"We are among the EU countries with the lowest number of university graduates and among the first, on the other hand, for the number of Neet," observes Pietro Cum, CEO of Elis. "With Distretto Italia," he continues, "we are helping young people rediscover the value of technical professions, which our industrial system particularly needs. When work is offered by solid companies with the right conditions, young people respond with great motivation'.