UNIC – Concerie Italiane met with Italy’s Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, on July 22 to discuss training strategies, education initiatives and ways to strengthen collaboration between schools and businesses to support the leather industry.
The meeting focused on creating new opportunities for young people while helping companies access skilled professionals.
During the meeting, Fulvia Bacchi, General Manager of UNIC – Concerie Italiane, highlighted the association’s long standing commitment to education and career development within the leather sector.
“We hope this dialogue will lead to new synergies and shared tools to support career guidance and training. Among our objectives, a key one remains offering young people concrete opportunities for study and work in a sector like tanning. It is a sector rich in expertise, creativity and professional fulfillment. At the same time, we want to help ensure that companies have access to the skilled professionals they need.”
– Fulvia Bacchi, General Manager, UNIC – Concerie Italiane
UNIC presented several educational initiatives that it has been promoting over the years. These include master’s programmes, collaborations with academies, fashion institutes and universities, as well as educational projects designed for elementary and middle school students, including Le Belle Lettere della Pelle (which translates to The Beautiful Letters of Leather) and Amici per la Pelle (Friends for Leather).
According to UNIC, the minister expressed interest in these initiatives and agreed on the importance of introducing students to the leather industry from the early stages of their education.
The discussions also highlighted the need to involve students families so that young people can make more informed decisions about their education and future careers.
UNIC also presented its broader training initiatives, including advanced technical education programmes and career guidance activities for teachers through its Tanning Orienteering project.
According to the association, it hopes the dialogue with the Ministry of Education and Merit will lead to new partnerships and practical tools that strengthen career guidance, training and skills development for Italy’s leather industry.
