Social economy (cross-border guide)
The dialogue between profit and non-profit to address the labor shortage: job placement opportunities between cooperation and companies.
Contesto
In brief - Integration between profit and non-profit sectors for regional development. - Social cooperatives generate employment, cohesion, and innovation. - Focus on job placement for individuals with disabilities and vulnerabilities. ## Key facts - What: Conference on social economy and labor inclusion. - When: 2026 (data referring to the current context). - Where: Varese (Insubria area). - Who: Confindustria, Confcooperative Insubria, Confartigianato, Confapi. - Objective: Addressing labor shortages and the demographic winter. The discussion between Confindustria, Confcooperative Insubria, Confartigianato, and Confapi highlighted how the social economy is no longer an isolated sector, but a strategic pillar for the future of the regions. Mauro Frangi, president of Confcooperative Insubria, emphasized during the conference dedicated to the dialogue between profit and non-profit sectors that the development model of the coming years will be based on the integration of economic and social dimensions. In this scenario, social cooperatives go beyond their role as mere service providers to become true economic actors capable of generating employment, cohesion, and innovation. ### The response to labor shortages Michela Conterno, vice president of Confindustria Varese with responsibility for ESG and human capital, remarked on the importance of deepening the understanding of existing regulatory tools to facilitate job placement. In a phase marked by labor shortages and the demographic winter, inclusion is no longer just an ethical duty, but a strategic response to the productive needs of companies. Confindustria Varese actively promotes projects that include people with disabilities, refugees, inmates, and victims of violence, considering diversity a growth factor. The st...
Dettagli operativi
L'analisi del ruolo delle piccole e medie imprese, secondo quanto emerso dagli interventi di Sara Bartolini di Confartigianato e Luciana Redaelli di Confapi, rivela come proprio la dimensione ridotta possa favorire processi inclusivi agili e personali. Nelle PMI, l’imprenditore affianca quotidianamente i collaboratori, accompagnando direttamente la loro crescita professionale. Questo rapporto diretto rappresenta un terreno fertile per accogliere le fragilità e trasformarle in opportunità di sviluppo. Per le piccole imprese, la collaborazione con le cooperative sociali non deve essere vista come un onere, ma come una risorsa per inserire nuove risorse in modo guidato e sostenibile. ### Strumenti e convenzioni per le aziende Un elemento cardine citato è rappresentato dalle convenzioni dell'articolo 14, uno strumento normativo che permette di costruire percorsi di inserimento protetti e accompagnati. Utilizzare correttamente questo strumento consente alle imprese di adempiere ai propri obblighi sociali e produttivi, delegando parte dell'inserimento lavorativo a cooperative specializzate, mantenendo però un legame diretto con il lavoratore. Il punto di partenza, come sottolineato da Luciana Redaelli, è la relazione: superare gli steccati tra associazioni di categoria e mondo della cooperazione è il presupposto per costruire un bene comune che giovi all'intero sistema economico. Le aziende possono trarre grande vantaggio da questo dialogo, trasformando le difficoltà di reperimento di personale in un'occasione per formare lavoratori che un domani potrebbero essere assunti stabilmente. La sfida per il futuro consiste nel rendere queste collaborazioni continuative e strutturate, evitando che rimangano iniziative isolate. La rete tra imprese, associazioni di categoria e coopera...
Punti chiave
Collaboration between for-profit and non-profit sectors requires an approach based on complementarity, as demonstrated by the experiences of Bticino and Lu-Ve Group. Laura Telloni from the Ozanam cooperative highlighted that the main challenge is finding suitable profiles, which can only be overcome through a structured collaboration where companies and cooperatives operate as parts of a single system. The experience of Bticino, among the first to invest in the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities, shows that it is necessary to maintain training paths even in highly technological production contexts, training both workers and managers on how to handle different forms of disability. ## Procedure for starting inclusive pathways For a company intending to start work placement paths in collaboration with the third sector, the fundamental steps include: 1) Direct contact with local cooperative entities to define specific production needs; 2) Analysis of regulatory tools, such as the agreements under Article 14, to identify the placement path most suitable for the company size; 3) Definition of a joint training plan that includes psychological support and worker accompaniment, as guaranteed by the Alfa cooperative in its collaborations; 4) Constant monitoring of the integration process through individual interviews and presence in the workplace. Radmyla Sydorkina, president of the Alfa cooperative, recalled that work is first and foremost an opportunity for autonomy. The twenty-year collaboration with Lu-Ve Group, which involves workers in cleaning and maintenance activities, demonstrates that the value of inclusion is measured by the quality of the work performed and the integration of these individuals as an integral part of the team. For companies operating...
Punti chiave
[{"q":"What is the role of social cooperatives in the labor market?","a":"Social cooperatives are not just service providers, but economic actors that generate employment, cohesion, and innovation. They collaborate with companies to integrate people with disabilities and fragility into the workforce, transforming inclusion into a factor of growth."},{"q":"What are the conventions of Article 14?","a":"They are regulatory tools that allow companies to build accompanied and sustainable employment paths, even for small production realities, favoring the inclusion of people with disabilities through collaboration with cooperatives."},{"q":"How can SMEs collaborate with social cooperatives?","a":"SMEs can initiate collaborations based on the direct relationship between entrepreneur and worker. Through the network with category associations and cooperatives, small businesses can train workers who may be permanently employed in the future, contributing to the common good."}]
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the role of social cooperatives in the labor market?
- Social cooperatives are not just service providers, but economic actors that generate employment, cohesion, and innovation. They collaborate with companies to integrate people with disabilities and fragility into the workforce, transforming inclusion into a factor of growth.
- What are the conventions of Article 14?
- They are regulatory tools that allow companies to build accompanied and sustainable employment paths, even for small production realities, favoring the inclusion of people with disabilities through collaboration with cooperatives.
- How can SMEs collaborate with social cooperatives?
- SMEs can initiate collaborations based on the direct relationship between entrepreneur and worker. Through the network with category associations and cooperatives, small businesses can train workers who may be permanently employed in the future, contributing to the common good.