Ten young migrants have attended a vocational training course to build their future and become economically independent, which are two main factors for a real integration in our country. The welding and carpentry course has been held in San Gaetano vocational training center in Vicenza by Caritas Diocesana Vicentina through the "Tirocini e lavoro" (“Internships and work”) service of the Associazione Diakona Onlus and has been economically supported by AVSI thanks to private funds and Chiesa di Gesù Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni.
The course participants have been selected by Caritas among the guests in their reception services in Vicenza and its province. The welding and carpentry course (125 hours) started on the 1st of March, ended at the end of last week and will be followed by a 16-hour safety course for high-risk groups of workers. After that, the graduates will do a 3-month internship in local carpentry companies looking for trained workers. The whole process will be overseen by Caritas operators through periodic checks with the participants and direct contacts with the companies involved.
“This course – explains don Enrico Pajarin, director of Caritas Diocesana Vicentina – is part of the wider project "La bottega del falegname" ("The carpenter’s shop"), headed by Diakonia Onlus Association. We thank AVSI for the support provided for this specific initiative aiming to get the participants into the job market of our society and particularly in an economic sector which is struggling to find specialized people, even among Italians. The goal is to get the participants to be hired so that they can become economically independent, find a home and build a family in the country they live in”.
“As AVSI, we think that this kind of projects responds to the need of Italian companies to find qualified workers and it contributes to the prevention of migrants exploitation and to a real integration in our society. AVSI in Italy works through virtuous partnerships between different and qualified actors such as third sector entities and private companies. Indeed, we think that today challenges and the issue of integration cannot be tackled alone. This project with Caritas is an example of this.” says Franco Argelli, AVSI Project Department.
“This is an opportunity to get a job and achieve independence. – says Demba Sow, one of the course participants – We learned a lot because we have received a detailed and thorough education and training from competent people, but the rest is up to us. Now my dream is to buy a house”.