The pilot project in Puglia addresses the gap between migrants’ skills and labour market needs. Led by the Fondazione SMILE Puglia, the initiative combines research, training, and employment services to support migrants’ socio-professional integration. More specifically, it aims to promote decent and regular employment for migrants living in Puglia, given the existing demand for labour in the region, which often goes unmet.

Key actions include:

• building a regional network that acts as a monitor and creates the conditions for the successful integration of beneficiaries into the labour market
• mapping labour demand in the region through research
• providing individual career guidance and skills assessment
• delivering bespoke vocational training for the identified professional profiles

The training programme is designed based on data and insights from the labour demand research report and identifies two professional profiles (one in the “Clothing and Fashion” sector and one in “Logistics and Transport”), drawn from the Regional Directory of Professions of the Puglia Region. The aim is to provide participants with certified skills listed in the Directory, which may count as training credits in the future.

So far Fondazione SMILE Puglia has organized two courses in the clothing and fashion sector, Production and alteration of garment, and one course in the logistics and transport sector, Warehouse operations.

The project promotes and supports partnerships with accredited employment agencies, employment agencies and enterprises to facilitate the beneficiaries’ entry into the labour market, including work placements. By improving migrants’ access to training, career guidance and decent work opportunities, the initiative supports a sustainable, rights-based approach to integration and full citizenship.