Since January, more than 11,300 migrants have landed in Italy and while many continue on to other destinations, many choose to start a new life in the country. Now, a digital training scheme being run in four Italian cities is helping young unaccompanied migrants find jobs and lead an independent life.

Sicily

More than 11,300 migrants have arrived in Italy since the beginning of the year, with a significant number opting to stay and start anew in the country. In response, Italy has implemented a digital training scheme across four cities, specifically designed to aid young unaccompanied migrants. This program aims to equip these individuals with the necessary skills to secure employment and live independently.



Digital training scheme helps migrants start new life in Italy

On the agenda today, in this IT lab, a slideshow presentation software. All the students in this group fled Africa to try to find a better life in Europe. This course aims to equip them with digital skills, which many of these young people lack. Some of the students have never used a computer before, or they've had very little access to one. The idea is to make them independent in using these tools, because they've never had a chance before. And nowadays computers are used everywhere, and it's a way for them to look for jobs. Seventeen-year-old Rose comes from Ghana. She needs this training to carve out a life for herself in Italy. I'm here to give myself a future. If I get a job and I'm asked to do something on the internet and I don't know how to do it, that's going to be a problem. That's why we need to learn all this. The project also offers individual sessions for a personalized job-hunting strategy. We do individual coaching to help them write their CV and to explain to them how you apply for job offers online. These young people have a lot of skills and often they're not aware of them, so we need to identify their skills through listening to their history and experience. Since the project launched almost three years ago, nearly 80 young people have benefited here, among them Suag, who came from Bangladesh. Three months ago, he was hired as a full-time waiter in this restaurant in Palermo. I feel really lucky. This job allows me to provide for myself and to pay my rent. I wait on tables and run the bar, and that allows me to help my family back home who supported me when I left Bangladesh. About ten social enterprises are funding this scheme, costing 800,000 euros over three years, in the hope of giving migrants new opportunities.

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