LA BILATERALITA' PER LO SVILUPPO DELLA FORMAZIONE CONTINUA: UN INTERVENTO PER FAR CRESCERE LE COMPETENZE MANAGERIALI DELLE PMI MILANESI

Training is widely considered a benefit for organizations: in order to be up-to-date and stay competitive, businesses constantly need to adapt their structures, whereas people need to acquire those skills that are most valued in the labour market. In Italy, there are few opportunities to update one’s skills and few possibilities to access lifelong-learning. The management and financing of training are a Government responsibility, but also Social Partners can play an active role. Both employers' associations and trade unions have gained more power, becoming active players in training management and in the promotion of supporting activities. They play a relevant role in matching national policies with industry and local needs through Interprofessional joint funds for lifelong learning. In this field, Social Partners have the responsibility to ensure the availability of financial tools to facilitate innovative projects, that otherwise could not be implemented by using the labour policy funds. In Italy, the initiatives to promote training activities are fragmented and insufficient. The issue is considerable relating to the small businesses. SMEs are more numerous and they contribute more to the Italian economy, but they lack managerial skills and have difficulties in investing in human capital. SMEs are characterized by such peculiar features that they require specific way of involvement and intervention. The funded training opportunities available are inefficient when related to the peculiar features of SMEs. We introduce here the pilot project developed by social partners in Milan through the economic resources of an Interprofessional fund. The goal was to support 20 SMEs in the skills analysis and to activate the necessary training. The focus was on the way to contact the businesses and the connection between the training and the shortcomings observed. In addition to this, we have made a comparison between the training activated in the project and the one traditionally organized by funds. A model of service to the SMEs has been built. The Social Partners have oriented the funding and then they have coordinated activities to overcome the cost constraints, they have sustained the SMEs' investments in training as a strategy for their growth.