Adnkronos Rome, October 13 (Adnkronos) – The inclusion of migrants in the energy transition and circular economy sectors should not be considered a side effect of the transition, but rather a fundamental lever for achieving climate goals and for the growth of the sector, regions, and emerging supply chains. This is what emerges from the results of the research project "Trajectories – Migration Flows, Skills, and Energy Transition: Trends and Best Practices in Training and Employment Inclusion," dedicated to the role of migrants in the energy transition and presented today in Rome by the Maire Ets Foundation.
The research is divided into eight studies conducted by researchers and associations, funded through a call for proposals by the Maire Ets Foundation.
According to one study, by 2023, foreign workers already accounted for over a fifth of green jobs in Italy. However, a strong segmentation is evident: while Italian workers occupy the most specialized positions, non-EU workers are often employed in entry-level tasks. This gap is primarily linked to the difficulty of recognizing qualifications acquired abroad, language and cultural barriers, and the lack of targeted training programs.
While some forecasts estimate that the goal of climate neutrality in Europe by 2050 would create 2,5 million jobs, and that climate adaptation and mitigation combined could create 8 million new jobs globally by 2030, Italy currently estimates a gap of over 800 workers for green jobs. To meet this challenge, a training and employment inclusion project is needed, including for the migrant population. This requires drastically reducing the time it takes to recognize qualifications, establishing targeted upskilling/reskilling and social and cultural integration programs, and creating a green skills mapping framework.
The research highlights the importance of integrated training programs that combine technical, linguistic, and digital skills, supported by mentors and mentors. Pilot experiences in several European countries demonstrate that skilled refugees can adapt quickly, bringing tangible benefits to companies and culturally enriching teams. Experiences involving career corridors based on labor market needs, with pre-training in the country of origin, are demonstrating their validity and potential.
Two areas were analyzed vertically: agrivoltaics, an emerging sector combining agriculture and photovoltaics and requiring a diverse and skilled workforce, and industrial districts. In agrivoltaics, migrants, often with previous agricultural experience, can be adequately trained in new technologies, improving their integration. In industrial districts undergoing a reconversion to green and circular activities, where the presence of foreign workers is intertwined with environmental sustainability, this can transform the regions into true laboratories of social and economic innovation. The studies were conducted by five researchers—Cecilia Fortunato, Antonio Umberto Mosetti, Luigi Campaniello, Carla Ventre, and Angelique Witjes—coordinated by Andrea Billi and three associations: Talent Beyond Boundaries, NeXt, Nuova Economia per tutti, and Fondazione Avsi-ets.
"The business world is experiencing a unique shortage of certain professional profiles, which are no longer available," says Fabrizio Di Amato, president of the Maire Foundation and Group. "The energy transition sector needs, and will increasingly need, trained people: migrants and refugees can be a key target group, especially if included in specific employment corridor programs. Companies must invest in targeted training and inclusion projects that engage their stakeholders as part of their sustainability strategies, and to do this, they need support. As a Group, we have launched a program that provides for the annual hiring of 100 new professionals, attracted and trained through our network of expertise centers, among which we plan to train a portion of migrants and refugees. I propose establishing an implementation table with institutional and association stakeholders available to assist us on this journey."