Job & Orienta: building the future of Italy
From the left: Maurizio Danese, CEO, Veronafiere; Elena Donazzan, Councillor for Education, Training and Employment of the Veneto Region; Giuseppe Valditara, Minister of Education and Merit; Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere.
“We are building the future of Italy here.” This what the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, had to say at the 31st edition of Job&Orienta, the national trade fair for guidance, schools, training and work, held at Veronafiere last 24-26 November. “I was exceptionally impressed by meetings with motivated and creative young people in the show halls. I saw many patents emerging from innovative ideas and, from this point of view, the results are very rewarding: 80% of students leaving a technical high school manage to find work within one year, and even with good salaries. If it is to grow, the country-system absolutely must focus on and invest in education as a full-scale value chain,” said the Minister, presenting a meeting dedicated to the central role that must be given today to higher technical training (ITS) in terms of finding employment.
Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere
«We feel an important responsibility towards young people,” added the President of Veronafiere, Federico Bricolo, at the inauguration of the event, “and this is precisely why we organize Job&Orienta with such commitment and passion. This event is an essential service provided to our young people at a particular time in their lives, when they are called on to make decisive choices. New professions are emerging every year, in a world of work requiring more and more skills and a school world that is adapting to new demands. Against this background, our task is intercept all the new things emerging throughout the year and then preview them at Job&Orienta. My thanks go to the people in the forefront of the 2022 edition – national and local institutions, universities, job centres and all the other organisations taking part – for their commitment to making this event a place where new content and stimuli can be found every year and the converted into genuine opportunities to build a tomorrow as protagonists.”
Event facts and figures
Promoted by Veronafiere and the Veneto Region in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit and the Ministry of Employment and Social Policies, with the sponsorship of Verona City Council and the Province of Verona, as well as the media partnership of Rai Cultura and Rai Scuola, Job&Orienta has welcomed children and young people for 31 years, providing indispensable tools for education guidance and fining initial employment. The event resumed attendance in person after the pandemic, attracting 45,000 visitors, joined by 37,000 contacts with the event through online connections and live streaming.
More than 400 organisations attended the job fair, including schools, academies and universities, training centres, ITS-higher technical institutes, institutions, companies, employment service agencies and trade associations.400 speakers were also involved in 150 cultural events on the lively calendar, including conferences and debates, training seminars and theme workshops, alongside a further 400 activities and workshops involving visitors.
Veronafiere projects
Veronafiere has always been committed to helping young people reach informed decisions as regards education and professional life through a series of solid initiatives taking place directly within the company.
- The Contamination Lab project implemented with the University of Verona involves up to 20 students involved in 6 internships with the intention of conceiving and creating a new event in the agricultural sector. So far, three of these young people have joined the Veronafiere team in its development and communication area.
- The IT office teams up with the IT Faculty and a University of Verona start-up for a research doctorate in the machine learning and artificial intelligence field. This study focuses on visitor flows and the management of gatherings of people during events, not the least with a view to Covid prevention measures.
- An innovative approach for alternating school and work (PCTO) has been set in motion with Anpal together with the Medi High School.
- The Head of Organization and Development-HR Area was appointed as a member of the steering committee at the Faculty of Economics and Management-University of Verona, taking part as a representative of Veronafiere to support the structuring of the degree course.
- Students contacting Veronafiere to request useful information for writing their theses are supported regardless of their university of origin.
- The supplementary company contract envisages extra permits for people who study while working and a bonus of €1,000 is awarded for those who graduate or complete a master’s degree while working at Veronafiere.