It is a project that first and foremost seeks to respond to the need to find workers in the mechanical-textile sector, which in recent years has been experiencing a production crisis due to the lack of manpower. This shortage is primarily linked to the excessive choosiness of companies which require specific skill-set. Thus, this project, aims to meet the needs of this sector, and also has its primarily focus on uplifting the socially weaker class. In this sense, therefore, it is certainly a 100% Salesian programme.
The project is co-ordinated by the three partners mentioned above, each of whom take care of a specific aspect. The Salesian ITI, a member of the CNOS-FAP (Centro Nazionale Opere Salesiane - Formazione e Avviamento Professionale – Salesian National Centre for Training and Job Placement) network - directly takes care of the training part. The Unione Industriale di Biella (Industrial Union of Biella) takes care of short-listing the suitable companies; and the Red Cross takes care of the selection of suitable candidates to be trained through the project.
All of the 15 selected students come from the 'Teobaldo Fenoglio' migrant camp in Settimo Torinese, run by the Red Cross, and are aged between 20 and 40.
The course which began in December 2023, includes 120 hours of vocational training in the mechanical-textile field along with hours dedicated to the safety norms. Finally, from this month of January, a supervisor made available by the Industrial Union will ensure their job placement in the city of Biella with proper housing.
"So far," explains Agostino Albo, Director of the Rebaudengo ITI, "we have not recorded any absentees on the part of the students; there is a strong level of motivation and the will to complete the course.
This is not an isolated project however! Last year, again at Rebaudengo ITI, a similar course was held for immigrants in the bodywork section through which all of the 14 students, had found employment.
The ultimate goal of this project, in addition to responding to a demand for specialized workers in the relevant sectors (in this case the mechanical-textile sector), is in line with what is one of the basic missions of Salesian vocational training: to train groups of unemployed young people, who for various reasons related to their status are unable to find stable employment, by providing them with specialization and accompanying them in their job placement.
The rock-hard commitment and support of the Red Cross at Camp Fenoglio, which carefully monitors the progress of the activities, the attendance of the students and, among other things, has also provided the students' public transport passes to facilitate their travel in indeed noteworthy.
