SNAM S.p.A.

10/13/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/13/2021 09:52

A network of schools and businesses to promote the digital and green transition. The ELIS Consortium of companies kicks off the project for Snam’s six months presidency

The network of 110 Italian companies in the ELIS Consortium has decided to launch a collaborative project that promotes a focus on topics linked to the digital and green transition in high schools. This is the goal of the new project developed over the past six months while Snam has held the rotating presidency of the ELIS Consortium, a body committed to placing young people in the workforce and retraining the unemployed.

The project will start with an initial group of schools that have already been selected before expanding to include others willing to adhere to the schools/enterprises network. In the context of the ongoing digital and green transition, the project is aimed at imparting the technical-scientific knowledge on which young people's future jobs will increasingly depend, while also promoting humanistic studies and non-cognitive interpersonal skills, such as emotional maturity, relationship skills and verbal and non-verbal communication.

The purpose of this initiative, which will begin with a pilot phase involving a group of schools acting under the principle of school autonomy, is to encouragea convergence towards new training models and content, including new internship programs, workshops and experiences abroad, with schools in different areas of the country sharing experiences and best practices on the new digital platforms. The companies will also contribute to school infrastructure development projects in terms of energy efficiency and digitalization.

Snam's CEO, Marco Alverà will officially present the new plan for Snam's presidency today at Villa Blanc in Rome. "Our project," remarked Alverà, "stems from the willingness of a group of companies to work alongside institutions and schools to help younger generations seize the new opportunities arising from the digital, ecological and neuroscientific revolution. 80% of the jobs of the future will require skills in these areas. After gathering feedback from school directors, teachers, students and families over the last six months, we want to contribute, together with educational institutions, to designing an educational program that combines international standards and new teaching methodologies with scientific and humanistic skills and knowledge. Today, schools play an increasingly crucial role for the future of Italy, as demonstrated by the significant resources allocated to them in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Our aim is to support this process with a concrete project to the benefit of our young people and the long-term sustainable development of our country."

"Networking is an essential element of the project," explained Pietro Cum, CEO of ELIS. "We want to expand the walls of classrooms and schools, putting young people in contact with experts and businesses that spark their enthusiasm, develop their ability to plan and help them understand the value of what they are learning. We will work hand-in-hand with committed teachers, the real drivers of this project, to energize the entire teaching team. We dream of a school that finds and cultivates the raw talent in every student, that values their differences, that can model young people's studies in line with their dreams and, at the same time, prepare them for the professions of tomorrow."

Many of the innovative initiatives included in the project for students and teachers will be trialled immediately within the framework of school autonomy. One of the first initiatives will entail the use of a digital platform connecting different classes of networked schools across various regions so the students can access content and lessons on highly specialized subjects taught by external experts and business professionals. The sessions will focus on insights related to the ongoing green, digital and neuroscientific revolution. The mix of participating schools will need to meet criteria of geographical homogeneity (north and south, cities and suburbs), with equal attention to gender equality and the different social contexts.

Internships, workshops and summer camps will immerse students in learning experiences that have, until now, been the exception in their schooling, while experiences abroad will enable students to develop the skills they need to work in global contexts. A great deal of space will be reserved for the training of teachers, the real agents of change. The project includes ad hoc courses to teach new knowledge, skills and teaching methodologies.

In the future, the project could lead to the presentation of a proposal to establish an experimental high school with a specific educational program. The commitment from companieswill entail supporting and coordinating the network of schools in their activities. In addition, the companies' responsibilities include identifying the skills required by the market and encouraging hands-on training with real-life applications. The project has involved school directors, teachers, experts, students, CEOs and representatives of institutions to brainstorm new educational programs that reflect the changes and the new opportunities arising from the green and digital transition.

ELIS is a non-profit organization that works in synergy with public institutions and private entities in Italy and in developing countries. It trains people for jobs with educational programs ranging from vocational schools to the University Degree Course in Computer Engineering in collaboration with the Milan PolytechnicUniversity. The training is designed and offered in close collaboration with companies. In this way, over decades, ELIS has developed long-term partnerships with over 100 large groups and companies, members of the ELIS ConselConsortium. The consortium members include Snam and 29 other listed companies. An average of 7, 000 people receive ELIS training every year in Italy and abroad. The organization is particularly committed to helping socially and economically disadvantaged individuals enter the workforce and promotes dialogue between young start-ups and companies.