Work, the role of interprofessional funds for active policies

In the last three years, probably also due to the harmful effects of the Pandemic, we have witnessed a positive trend reversal on the subject of active labor policies, after which for years they had been sidelined by investments and actions almost entirely focused on passive policies.

Requalification of skills and improvement of professional skills are actions that are finding increasing space both in the training policies implemented by public decision-makers and in the actions of inter-professional funds.

In the last two years, the Draghi and Meloni governments have invested over two billion euros in active policies, financing the New Skills Fund managed by Anpal with the direct participation of the Interprofessional Funds. Demonstration of a positive and fruitful cooperation action of the State and those of the Funds.

The Funds, established by law 388/2000, are subject to a delegation of public functions within the sphere of professional training development policies, in line with the principle of horizontal subsidiarity pursuant to art. 118 last paragraph of the Constitution, with the aim of developing continuous professional training with a view to the competitiveness of companies and the training of workers.

We believe that their role is essential, also for what has been implemented in the last 20 years. Foncoop has played and we think can continue to play this role effectively, in support of companies in the cooperative sector, in an action of complementarity with the active policies put in place by the public decision-maker.

Since the pandemic, the training offer of the Fund has been characterized by the themes of sustainable innovation, having the 2030 Agenda as a reference point, in supporting companies on the necessary innovation and transformation processes. The characterizing themes were, among others: responsible production and conscious consumption; social and work inclusion; new models of cooperative governance with particular reference to community cooperatives. All with a view to green and digital innovation. Moreover, these are the objectives of the Fund for new skills financed by Anpal.

Finally, we welcomed the return of the 6 per thousand fund levy made on the Funds in recent years, aimed, in the intentions of the Government, at the retraining of the professional skills of workers receiving social shock absorbers. We think that this positive rule should also be extended to the training of new employees, as well as the necessary support, which in an emergency phase such as the one Emilia Romagna is going through, can be extended to all those businesses that were victims of the recent flood.

*(President of Foncoop)