In & Aut. Al lavoro per l’inclusione

The project aims at increasing the amount of resources, abilities and opportunities for NEET youth with serious physical and/or mental vulnerabilities to find jobs in Northern Milan (Baranzate and surrounding areas). The vast majority of these youth live in poverty conditions.

Those who suffer the most due to the economic difficulties of their families are minors at risk for material deprivation and lack of education. Especially in a general social context where the amount of skills and knowledge required to find a job is getting higher and higher, as is the risk of being excluded.

In Lombardy, 17.5% of youth aged 15-29 is neither employed nor in school. In the case of people affected by multidimensional poverty, their social, economic and education vulnerability is compounded by psychological distress and physical and mental disabilities. In these cases, finding a job becomes an unattainable goal.

The project aims at filling an institutional void and working with those who are “excluded” from the world of work because of temporary or permanent fragility that is not contemplated by the law and is hard to detect (poverty in education, economic and mental difficulties, violence, depression, further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic).  We will also work with youth who have certified disabilities but are actually not supported in looking for a stable job and keeping it. In Italy, less than 1 person with disability out of 5 works, but in the case of people with autism the percentage reaches 99%. Furthermore, according to the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), companies’ sensitivity to diversity — whether based on gender, religious orientation, nationality, ethnicity or disability — is still very low.

A multilevel approach will be adopted, with interventions aimed at individual beneficiaries, public institutions, the private economic sector and the public sector in general. The initiative aims at fostering the idea of work as both a tool for inclusion and self-esteem improvement — especially for those whom society deems “different”— and as a tool to build a more inclusive, and therefore richer, society in cultural and economic terms.

Local organizations involved in the project:
The project is implemented in partnership with Fondazione InOltre and in collaboration with a large network including public institutions (Municipality of Baranzate, Istituto Comprensivo Gianni Rodari, social services, local health services, psycho-social services in Bollate-Garbagnate, neuropsychiatry services for children and teenagers, the Consortium of municipalities “Comuni Insieme”, social services of other municipalities in Northern Milan, etc.) and private ones (parishes, Anti-violence Centers, businesses, associations in the Milan area, Fondazione Don Gnocchi, Fondazione Sacra Famiglia, Fondazione Comunitaria Nord Milano, etc.).
Being deeply rooted in and connected with the territory will help in the selection of beneficiaries, case management, and communication of good practices. Among others, the long-standing collaboration with the Sant’Arialdo parish in Baranzate, and with the Salesian group Fondazione CNOS FAP Lombardia are to be highlighted.
This network with further grow to include more contacts and collaborations with entities and associations that specifically focus on disability (“PizzAut” in Cassina De’ Pecchi, “Tortellante” in Modena, “Banda Rulli Frulli” in Finale Emilia, Tavolo Disabilità in the Municipality of Milan, etc.).