The first young refugees who took part in ReadyForIT | Labor Pathways for Refugees have arrived in Italy, ready to begin their professional journey in IT with the companies that are already waiting for them!
Labor Pathways for Refugees are an experimental project developed as part of the opening of extra-quota entry pathways, pursuant to Law 50/2023. It is promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
ReadyForIT - Labor Pathways for Refugees is an initiative designed to facilitate the regular entry in Italy of young refugees residing in first-asylum countries after being forced to flee their homelands due to war, persecution, or human rights violations.
In first-asylum countries, refugees often lack genuine opportunities to rebuild a dignified life and are compelled to undertake long and dangerous journeys. The Work Corridors offer an alternative by providing the opportunity to enter Italy with a work visa, enabling safe and legal migration pathways.
This project aligns with the Global Compact on Refugees, emphasizing not only the critical role of the private sector and individual companies in integrating refugees into society but also the significant value of collaboration among Italian authorities, civil society, international organizations, and the private sector in delivering concrete solutions of solidarity and protection.
The ReadyForIT - Labor Pathways for Refugees project has been coinceived by Fondazione Italiana Accenture ETS (Accenture Italian Foundation) and is led by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in partnership with the foundation itself, Diaconia Valdese CSD, Talent Beyond Boundaries, Pathways International, the International Trade Center (ITC - UN/WTO Technical Agency), and the Unione Industriali Torino. The project is supported by Reale Foundation and Fondazione Conad ETS, in collaboration with Develhope, Refactory Uganda, and Finn Church Aid.
The Labor Pathways for Refugees result from a deeply collaborative process involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies, and the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
The primary focus of training in temporary asylum countries, as well as the subsequent job placement, is the Information Technology sector.
Young refugees are identified and selected in the host country, where they attend a preliminary pre-course leading to a further selection phase. They are then prepared for interviews and introduced to the companies participating in the program, with the aim of facilitating an initial matching between candidates and employers.
Next, participants begin a 10-week training program that includes 160 hours of IT training and 133 hours of civic-linguistic education (100 hours of Italian language at A1 level, 25 hours of civic education and sector-specific vocabulary) plus 8 hours of workplace health and safety training. Of the total hours, 60 are delivered in person, while the remaining sessions are provided remotely from Italy. An additional 12 hours of advanced IT coaching are offered online by the Local Academy.
At the end of the training program, students take three in-person exams (technical, civic-linguistic, and workplace safety) covering all topics studied during the 10 weeks and receive the corresponding certifications. Only those who pass all tests successfully proceed to the next phase, which involves starting the visa application process required for their arrival in Italy and formalizing a minimum 12-month employment contract agreed upon with the participating companies.
Upon arrival in Italy, young refugees receive initial support, including assistance in finding housing for the first three months, help fostering social integration through community matching, and continued support for workplace integration.
This Java IT course builds practical and professional skills for roles in software development:
• Version Control with Git: Proficiency in Git, branching strategies, and collaboration on GitHub.
• Java Programming Fundamentals: Solid understanding of arrays, loops, functions, and essential data types.
• Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): Hands-on experience designing robust systems using classes, encapsulation, collections, and inheritance.
• Advanced Java Skills: File handling, exception management, Java Streams, Maven, and debugging tools.
• API and Web Basics: Practical knowledge of HTTP protocols, API testing, and tools like Postman.
• Italian Language Courses at A1 Level: Core communication functions, vocabulary, structures, and cultural elements of Italy.
• Civic-Linguistic Education: Key principles of the Italian Constitution, main public institutions in Italy, aspects of civil life (healthcare, education, employment, and taxes), rights and duties of foreigners in Italy, and employment contracts
• Specialized Terminology: Verbs, vocabulary, and structures relevant for communication in the IT sector in Italy
• Workplace Safety Training: Health and safety regulations in the workplace.
Twenty-two young refugees with IT backgrounds, originally from Burundi, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan and currently residing in Uganda, successfully completed the ReadyForIT program at the end of October 2024. During the program, they gained or enhanced their Java programming skills and achieved basic knowledge of the Italian language and culture.
In the coming weeks, they will arrive in Italy thanks to employment contracts in the Information Technology sector already confirmed by the seven companies that pre-selected them and chose to participate in this innovative, high-impact project.
In April and May 2025, the first young refugees who took part in ReadyForIT | Labor Pathways for Refugees arrived in Italy. This marks the first pilot initiative of labor corridors in the Information Technology sector in Italy (art. 23 del Dlgs. 286/98).
Thanks to an employment contract offered by Italian companies participating in the pilot, they were granted a visa that allowed them to safely and legally arrive in our country, beginning a new life and a career in the digital sector.
Italy has been one of the first countries to develop this model, clearly demonstrating that when institutions, businesses, and organizations work together, meaningful and tangible change is possible.
© UNHCR/Alessandro Penso