The New Skills Fund 2024 represents an extraordinary opportunity for Italian companies that want to invest in the training of their employees. Born out of an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Labour, the Fund aims to support private employers and publicly-owned companies, thus incentivising the training and development of new skills for employees.
The main aim is to improve professional skills in an era of digital transition and sustainability. This third edition, for which the notice including the director’s decree and annexes was published in early December, provides a non-repayable contribution for companies wishing to invest in the training of their employees.
But let us try to better understand what the New Skills Fund is. Established by the Relaunch Decree No. 34/2020 and refinanced by the August Decree No. 104/2020, the Fund initially provided a contribution for the training of employees in companies affected by the Covid crisis. It was later considered a real support for economic recovery. The Fund was very popular because companies were able to obtain non-repayable financing for both salary shares and workers’ social security contributions for the time spent on training courses. However, the financing of such projects requires the prior signing of a trade union agreement.
Training courses under these agreements may be provided by accredited public or private, national or regional bodies (e.g. universities, schools).
In this way, it is possible to proceed with targeted training, customised to the specific needs of the company, especially since the skills that workers already have are indicated in the plan.
One of the most important new features of the 2024 New Skills Fund is the option of also involving staff who have not yet been recruited in the training courses by providing 100 per cent reimbursement of their salary. This possibility favours the linking of training and selection.
The following can join the Fund
- private employers,
- publicly owned companies that have signed collective agreements to reschedule working hours and adhere to training paths aimed at improving workers’ skills.
To join the Nuove Competenze Fund, it is necessary to use the Interprofessional Fund to which you belong, which will take care of the costs of planning, teaching, coordination/direction, mentoring/monitoring and administration.
Instead, the New Skills Fund will partly finance the hourly wage of the employee in training. The employer can participate without the interprofessional fund if the company does not belong to any fund, if its fund does not participate in FNC interventions or if it has run out of resources to finance training.
The agreements, agreed with the trade union representatives, must include:
- The training projects for the workers involved,
- The number of workers involved,
- The number of hours devoted to training,
- The possibility of involving any unemployed persons selected by the employer itself to take part in these training courses.
The training project, with a minimum duration of 30 hours and a maximum of 150 hours for each worker, aims to increase workers’ skills in topics such as:
– Technological and digital systems,
– Introduction and development of artificial intelligence,
– Sustainability and environmental impact,
– Circular economy,
– Ecological transition,
– Energy efficiency,
– Corporate welfare and organisational well-being.
– The New Skills Fund reimburses the cost of working hours allocated to training according to the following break do 60% of the hourly wage, net of the worker’s share,
– 100% of the costs of social security and welfare contributions for the hours allocated to training, including the worker’s share, net of any contribution relief,
– 100% of the hourly wage, for unemployed for at least 12 months hired after the publication of the decree and before the start of the training,
– a contribution of EUR 800 for the employer if at least 70% of the selected unemployed are hired on a permanent or apprenticeship basis by the time the balance is presented.
From 10.02.2025 until 10.04.2025, applications can be submitted via the MyANPAL platform by accessing with SPID, CIE or CNS. The employer can enable himself or a delegate by registering on the portal. To submit the application, the collective agreement, the training project and, if necessary, the proxy with an identity document and self-certification of representativeness must be attached.
The preliminary investigation phase will start on 10.02.2025 according to the chronological criterion of application submission.
In summary, the New Skills Fund 2024 offers a significant opportunity for Italian companies to invest in the training of their employees, thus contributing to economic growth and sustainable development.
With this article, Studio Carone, wishes you Happy Holidays.