First meeting of National Skills Group (NSG) Italy dedicated to the tourism sector

Launched by the European “Next Tourism Generation Alliance” (NTGA) project, the ‘National Skills Group (NSG) Italy’, whose aim is to implement the European strategy on skills in tourism, held itsfirst meeting on March 2nd.

The round-table session saw the participation of Chambers of commerce, Regional Unions of Chambers of commerce, Universities, Research Institutes and various Trade and Sector Associations which signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), an agreement protocol aimed at the development and sharing of knowledge, training facilities and methods with a view to facilitating tourism and relative sector supply chains in the transition towards the skills of the future. Delegates from the Lombardy and Piedmont Regions were also present.

Participants and members of the NSG Italy

NSG Italy is engaged in implementing the sectoral ‘Digital and Sustainability Skills in Tourism’ development strategy that has evolved in the NTG project within the context of the European Pact for Skills.

Italy’s Skills Group will develop and identify training tools, approaches, and resources to facilitate the transition of tourism and associated supply chains towards skills that are required in this sector, both currently and in the future. In particular, the policy will involve practices related to digital, green, and social skills, transversal to all professional profiles.

Participants and members of NSG Italy

To date, the following institutions and bodies have become participants in the NSG working group: Unioncamere, Dintec, Isnart, Regional Union of the Chambers of commerce of Piedmont, Formaper (training Agency of the Chamber of commerce of Milan Monza Brianza Lodi), Chamber of Commerce of Turin, CNR IsMed (National Research Council – Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean), European University of Rome (UER), University of Pisa, Federturismo, Federation of Organised Tourism (FTO), AIAV (Italian Travel Agents Agency)/Idealtravel, CAPAC Confcommercio and the ITS Innovaprofessioni Foundation.

The meeting offered an opportunity to present and share objectives, actions, and the added value each partner will be able to bring to the Group. The key issues discussed were the use and possible further development of the outputs created by the NTGA project, including theSkills Matrix and Session Plansof the training Toolkit relating to digital, green, and social skills; the creation of a cooperation network which will include and give a voice to all stakeholders in the tourism sector; direct involvement in the decision-making process concerning the content and methods of implementation of the strategy for the development of sectoral skills; the link with the ‘Pact for Skills’ initiative European Commission; a link with national/regional challenges and the sharing of best practices.

The objectives of NSG Italy

Sharingbest practices,testing methodologies, and the outputs developed by the NTGA Project will support the professional development of the future tourism workforce, to deal with the ever-changing skills and knowledge required in the tourism sector. Safeguarding businesses future growth and prosperity, in particular in rural districts will in fact be linked to upskilling staff and developing their business practice in green, social and digital skills.

This was highlighted in the Excelsior 2021 report on the‘Estimation of employment and professional requirements in Italy in the medium term (2021-2025)’ clearly indicated a general growth in the number of employees, from 933,000 to almost 1,300,000, and, in particular, with respect to the need for personnel who have acquired an intermediate level of digital skills (such as the use of internet technologies and visual and multimedia communication, corresponding to 57% of the total number of subjects). The requirement for personnel who possess advanced skills will reach a value of 24-26%.

In particular, tourism will be one of the sectors most closely concerned in this transformation process.

谅解备忘录的签署,确认organizations commitment to working together, as well to welcome collaboration and involve otherstakeholders. For information and guidance concerning adherence to projects and relative activities, Unioncamere may be contacted at:ntg@unioncamere.it.

Information about the author

Unioncamere– the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture – is the public law body representing the Italian Chamber system.

Founded in 1901, it promotes and manages services and activities of interest to the Chambers of commerce and economic categories, coordinating the initiatives of the System through directives and addresses.

To perform functions and tasks entrusted by law to Chamber bodies, Unioncamere stipulates program agreements, understandings, and conventions with the central administrations of the State, national or local public bodies, promoting and supporting the connection of the Chamber system with business organizations, consumers, and workers.

At the European level, it ensures the representation of the Italian Chambers of commerce within Eurochambres, the association that brings together the Chamber systems of Europe.

TheExcelsior Information System– created by Unioncamere and ANPAL – ranks among the major sources available in Italy on labor market issues.

Unioncamere, together with its companiesIsnart(National Institute of tourism) andDintec(Consortium for technological innovation) is anNTGA partner!