Building Employability in Italy

This chapter examines the issue of employability in Italy in recent years. It focuses on the challenges, opportunities and policies involved, as well as future prospects. Italy, the third-largest economy in the EU, has been experiencing stagnation for years. This has negatively affected employability, exacerbated by structural issues such as regional disparities, gender gaps, and low-skilled employment. The chapter reconstructs the theoretical framework, challenges and opportunities in terms of employability in Italy, as well as future prospects, by combining official European (Eurostat, Cedefop) and Italian (ISTAT) statistical sources with official reports (OECD, European Commission, Italian Ministry of labour, CNEL) and a literature review of recent academic studies on employability in Italy, based on surveys and interviews. The chapter highlights two key findings. Firstly, employment prospects in Italy have gradually improved in sectors affected by EU-supported reforms. Secondly, structural disparities continue to limit Italy’s convergence with EU employment and skills levels. To reduce persistent structural gaps, authorities should coordinate national and local policies to improve employability, strengthen lifelong learning initiatives and modernise the workforce.