The Tunisia Project

In a global context where innovation and skills are key factors for competitiveness, Fincantieri recognizes the importance of an inclusive and sustainable approach that places people at the center. The Group has made diversity, equity, and inclusion a cornerstone of its corporate identity, actively working to create welcoming, respectful, and opportunity-rich work environments for everyone.

Through structured and innovative programs, Fincantieri supports the enhancement of its workforce, promoting individual and collective well-being, in the spirit of social responsibility and the creation of a positive impact on the communities it serves. It is within this perspective that the recruitment and training project in Tunisia, as well as numerous initiatives dedicated to the inclusion of foreign workers in Italy, are positioned elements of an integrated strategy aimed at building a fairer and more sustainable future.

Tunisia Project

To address the growing difficulty in sourcing qualified labor in the shipbuilding sector, Fincantieri has launched, as part of the Italy-Africa Strategic Plan “Piano Mattei,” a pilot project in Tunisia dedicated to the selection, training, and subsequent employment in Italy of young Tunisian graduates specialized as ship welders. The program involves 20 young people, selected among candidates with previous work experience, who have participated in a comprehensive and in-depth training program designed to develop high-level technical and language skills, delivered in their country of origin.

Between February and May 2025, participants followed an intensive 298-hour course, divided between civic-linguistic and technical-professional training, with a particular focus on learning the Italian language up to level A1, certified through an official exam at the end of February. After a break for the country’s religious holidays, technical training resumed in early April and concluded in May with an official certificate award ceremony at the Tunisian site: a moment of great significance, symbolizing the success achieved by these young people and the tangible realization of a process of development and inclusion.

The project is implemented through a network of strategic partnerships, involving Italian organizations such as Associazione Centro ELIS, Agenzia per il Lavoro Orienta, and key Tunisian stakeholders such as the Cluster Maritime Tunisien and the Groupement Professionnel National des Industries Nautiques of CONECT, which ensure the quality of training, logistical organization, and constant coordination on the ground. This model is based on the opportunities offered by the Cutro Decree (art. 23 of the Consolidated Immigration Act) and provides, in addition to training, for the organization of accommodation in Italy at the companies’ expense, thus creating optimal conditions for the entry and integration of workers into the Fincantieri Group or into companies in the shipbuilding supply chain, also through temporary employment contracts.

The official approval of the project by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies in December 2024, and the ongoing dialogue with the Italian Embassy in Tunis, testify to the relevance and validity of the project, which represents not only a targeted intervention to meet industrial needs, but also a real opportunity for personal growth, the development of qualified human capital, and international cooperation. The 20 young professionals, whose arrival is scheduled for December 2025, will begin their professional journey by putting into practice the technical skills acquired during the months of training.

This project is part of a vision dedicated to the training and selection of professional profiles even beyond national borders, with the aim of building bridges between industry and cultures, promoting a corporate culture based on inclusiveness and respect.

Tools and Projects for the Inclusion of Foreign Workers

The Tunisia Project is part of a broader Fincantieri strategy that also includes initiatives aimed at the social and professional inclusion of foreign workers in Italy.

As part of the everyDEI program, the Group has developed a series of tools and initiatives aimed at facilitating the integration and improving the quality of working life for people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Among these, the Step2Connect web app is an important tool for social inclusion and integration. Designed to support foreign workers and their families in the integration process, Step2Connect offers practical and easily accessible content—such as guides, tutorials, and interactive quizzes—covering fundamental aspects of daily life in Italy, from bureaucracy to the healthcare system, from workplace safety to emergency management. Enhanced by an artificial intelligence-based chat, this platform enables prompt responses to users’ questions, fostering their autonomy and reducing cultural barriers within the shipyards.

The initiative was developed as part of “Includere per Crescere” (“Including to Grow”), in collaboration with Elis, and is based on positive experiences already gained in Fincantieri’s Ligurian shipyards, where physical cultural mediation desks have been activated.

In this sense, particular attention is also paid to the well-being of Fincantieri system workers and their families, and it is with this objective that the socio-health mediation service was launched in collaboration with the Local Health Authority (ASL), promoting prevention and health awareness.

At the same time, Fondazione Fincantieri promotes Italian language courses for foreign workers, organized in collaboration with the Società Dante Alighieri. Launched in 2024 in strategic shipyards such as Monfalcone, Sestri Ponente, Riva Trigoso, Muggiano, Ancona, and Marghera, these courses have already involved over 220 participants and more than 650 hours of total training. The aim is twofold: on the one hand, to improve workers’ communication skills to ensure a safer and more collaborative work environment; on the other, to facilitate full participation in company and social life, overcoming the language barriers that often limit integration and individual well-being.

Through these initiatives, Fincantieri demonstrates that the most authentic form of innovation is the one capable of generating both economic and social value, turning complex challenges—such as the shortage of labor—into concrete opportunities for sustainable and shared growth.