The major challenge for the Country comes from the demographic decline

Riccardo Di Stefano, Vice President of Confindustria for Education and Open Innovation, expresses cautious optimism about addressing labor market gaps in Italy. He suggests that improving the attractiveness of Italy to foreign students and promoting a positive image of manufacturing can help bridge the gap between labor demand and supply.

Di Stefano notes that companies are setting up internal academies to provide training, as schools and universities are not enough to keep up with rapid transformations. He highlights that the manufacturing industry offers young people interesting career paths, contrary to common negative stereotypes, and that there is a growing need for STEM graduates, with a shortage of around 700,000.