Training, jobs and school orientation were the main themes that opened the fifth day of the 65th Genoa International Boat Show in Genoa. A theme of strategic importance for the future of the boating industry. In a scenario where the Italian boating industry is a world leader, an expression of the so-called Bello e Ben Fatto (Beautiful and Well Made), it is increasingly necessary to reflect on the issue of lacking skilled labour and the urgent need to create effective and efficient training paths. At higher education and university levels, there is almost an overabundance of professionals in the sector, with a wealth of engineers and designers, but an obvious gap in the field of specialised labour dedicated to the construction phases. What actions are needed? How can institutions help in this regard? This was discussed during the conference “Boating Industry: Synergies Between Institutions and Businesses“, promoted by the Italian Marine Industry Association.
The roundtable was introduced by a video message from the Hon. Paola Frassinetti, Italy’s Undersecretary for Education and Merit, who stressed the need for greater awareness on the part of the institutions. “Among the key reforms approved by this Government, precisely on the initiative of this Ministry, are that of orientation and that of technical-professional education. These are both designed to respond to the needs of the professional world and the business world with the aim of concretely jumpstarting supply and demand. It is crucial that boys and girls learn to recognise their talents and develop their aspirations. This reform will also play a strategic role for the maritime sector. With particular thanks to the synergy with ITS dedicated to the boating sector and the collaboration with the regions, it will be possible to build a real training chain for the sea, capable of offering solid opportunities. The Ministry is also committed to promoting memoranda of understanding that enhance new practices and associations committed to combating educational poverty and school drop-outs, precisely through the resource of the sea, with educational paths directly aimed at the nautical world. The sea is an extraordinary educational, training and economic resource”.
Invited to the debate, moderated by Roberto Neglia, Head of Institutional Relations at the Italian Marine Industry Association, were Prof. Fabrizio D’Ascenzo, President of INAIL, Antonio Capone, Director of Production Areas at Sviluppo Lavoro Italia, Cristina Costarelli, President of the National Association of Headmasters of Lazio, Alessandro Clavarino, Head of the Genoa Territorial Area Ministry of Education, Maurizio Millico Senior Strategy & Business Development Italy Public Sector INDEED, C. A. Marco Predieri, General Manager of Lega Navale and Vincenzo Poerio Vice President of the Italian Marine Industry Association in charge of Professional Training and Sea Culture.
Emphasis was placed on the importance of rules and safety. In this regard, Prof. Fabrizio D’Ascenzo, President of INAIL, emphasised how fundamental it is to talk about this topic as early as school: “Children must understand this message early on. The boating sector lends itself perfectly for this, a context based on rules that must be followed. Collaboration with companies is also just as important. It is therefore essential to integrate training, rules and collaboration in order to operate in an effective manner.”
It is important, as emphasised by Prof. Costarelli, to go to schools and get students to understand their individual potential: “It is also crucial to create a relationship of trust between schools and companies so as to create a direct entry path into the career world once they finish school.” The way forward is therefore a return to the second-level PCTO school and even more so to the recently established 4+2-year education system in ITS institutes. It is crucial to start early in the schools: to establish partnerships with key figures within institutes, in order to also resolve doubts about orientation. “Orientation is the best way, according to Alessandro Clavarino, to create favourable development that must include strong communication between schools and the country. It is then essential to support and develop teacher training,” he emphasises.
In a competitive market it is also important to intercept the workforce. Antonio Capone, Director of Production Areas at Sviluppo Lavoro Italia, is convinced of this, pointing out that “Young people represent a fundamental resource, but it is essential to involve adults as well. It is necessary to create opportunities to meet companies that offer job opportunities and, at the same time, to enhance specialised skillsets from third countries”.
On the importance of creating synergies, Maurizio Millico emphasised how young people often do not know how to look for a job. Lega Navale Director General Predieri also emphasised the variety of opportunities offered by the sea and how important it is to disseminate maritime culture in order to learn the many elements that define it, starting as early as elementary and middle schools.
Vincenzo Poerio, Vice President of the Italian Marine Industry Association, concluded by providing the voice of the boating industry and highlighting the needs and realities of the sector: “The industry has grown substantially and we need increasingly more specialised manpower to remain competitive. The ITS Academy system is working, but it trains intermediate-level figures. On the other hand, there is a lack of specialised workers keeping up with the technologies that the market demands, and a lack of schools to train them. It is therefore necessary to collaborate with institutions to build a training platform for workers that can provide the necessary labour supply for the industry.”
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The events programme at the Eberhard & Co. Theatre kicked off this morning, 22nd September, with the conference “Women at the Helm of the Blue Economy”.
The initiative, dedicated to the stories of Ligurian women entrepreneurs and professionals whose success is inextricably linked to the sea, was organised with the contribution of the Liguria Regional Council’s Equal Opportunities Department, and was attended by the Regional Councillor for Culture and Entertainment, Sport, Training, and Equal Opportunities, Simona Ferro. Marina Stella, General Manager of the Italian Marine Industry Association, opened the event.
As a key part of the Forum25 programme today, the University of Genoa presented its Marine Engineering and Yacht Design courses, active in La Spezia. Two training courses combining technical and design skills, with a strong international orientation and one of the highest employment rates in the sector. The initiative reaffirmed the university’s strategic role as a meeting point between academic training and the specialised professional world. Genoa, 22nd September 2025
