Things
The Fund supports the updating and development of workers' skills, in response to the needs of the modern labor market, characterized by rapid technological changes and a growing focus on sustainability. The Fund reimburses the cost of working hours allocated to attending training and thus facilitates the raising of the level of human capital.
The decree relating to the New Skills Fund, now in its third edition, was published on 26 November 2024 on the institutional website of the Ministry of Labor after a long wait of several months.
This edition of the Fund, which is renamed the Skills Fund for Innovation, is initially financed with 731 million euros which could increase to around 800 million thanks to the savings accumulated in previous editions.
Among the innovations of the new edition, the possibility of including staff who have not yet been hired in the funded training courses stands out, encouraging the integration between training and selection, with courses also dedicated to newly hired workers and unemployed people who have passed a pre-selection.
Financial allocation
The initial allocation of the Fund amounts to 730 million euros.
Areas of intervention
The areas of intervention of the training plans include:
- Technological and digital systems
- Artificial intelligence
- Sustainability and environmental impact
- Circular economy
- Ecological transition
- Energy efficiency
- Corporate welfare and organizational well-being
The plan must also document the skills already possessed by workers and provide personalized training interventions based on specific needs. The design must be consistent with the learning objectives indicated in ministerial decree 115/2024, referring to the repertoires of sector skills.
Who is it aimed at?
- Training systems (25% of resources): intended for business groups led by a big player, in line with EU Directive 2023/2775.
- Training chains (25% of resources): aimed at small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), preferably located in territorial districts, production networks or supply chains with a specific economic vocation.
- Individual employers (50% of resources): for direct interventions by individual companies.
What does it predict
The instrument provides the possibility of obtaining non-repayable financing for:
- 60% of the salary quotas
- 100% of social security contributions
For courses presented by training systems or training chains, the financeable salary quota rises to 80%.
100% of the hourly wage is covered for workers unemployed for over 12 months, hired with high-level training and research apprenticeship contracts after the publication of the ministerial decree and before the start of training.
