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Webinar 21 November 2024 (11:00 – 12:30)

Best practices and possible new models of integration of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the European tourism labour market

As we navigate an increasingly interconnected world, the tourism sector stands at a unique crossroads. It not only serves as a significant driver of economic growth but also as a platform for cultural exchange and social cohesion. However, while there is a need for additional human resources in a growing industry like tourism, the challenges faced by migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in accessing employment opportunities in this sector are quite significant.

The webinar will explore:

Best Practices: We’ll discuss successful initiatives and strategies that have effectively supported the integration of newcomers into the tourism workforce. We’ll aim to give innovative and bold answers to the issue of workforce shortage in the European tourism industry (especially in middle and low level qualifications) and to identify the best innovation and learning practices to be taken as reference models

Innovative Models: We’ll examine new and emerging models that foster inclusivity and leverage the diverse skills that migrants bring to the table. We will present the most significant international benchmarks in the field of training aimed at social integration and employment improvement for vulnerable people

Collaborative Approaches: We will highlight the importance of effective partnerships between governments, education & training providers and businesses to create sustainable pathways to integration and to address and overcome risks in recruiting and bringing these human resources into the tourism labor market.

Agenda

21 November 2024

The times given are those of the Central European Time Zone (CET)

11:00 – 11:20

Moderator

  • Rino Vitelli, Head of EU Projects and Partnerships at Federturismo Confindustria

Keynote speaker

  • Giovanni Figini, Director of Oliver Twist School – COMETA Formazione

11:20 – 12:20

  • Natalia Popova, Labour Economist at ILO (International Labour Organization)

  • Kenny Muscat, BILT Project Manager at UNESCO UNEVOC

  • Katharina Engel, BILT Project Manager at BIBB (German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training)

  • Luca Stefanini, Senior Labour Market Specialist at Sviluppo Lavoro Italia

  • Alejandra La Lastra Goyarrola, Corporate Social Responsibility Advisor at Palladium Hotel Group

  • Stefania Andriani, Manager at INDIRE (Italian National Agency Erasmus+)

  • Marievi Gretsi, Project Coordinator at the European Department of AKMI Metropolitan College

  • Elena Marinotti, INTEGRA Project Manager at Formaper

12:20 – 12:30

  • Q&A Session, wrap-up and closing

Speakers & Schedule

Rino Vitelli

Moderator

Rino Vitelli

Head of EU Projects and Partnerships, Federturismo Confindustria

Rino Vitelli is Head of EU Projects and Partnerships at Federturismo Confindustria, the leading Italian business association in the tourism industry, and member of the International Group of Experts established by UNESCO-UNEVOC for the implementation of the BILT Project on the Dual Transition in the Hospitality and Tourism Sector. Specialized in destination marketing and management, he has worked throughout his career for several companies, organizations, public bodies, national and international agencies, dealing with business development, cultural heritage enhancement, promotion of tourism services, as well as training of the workforce employed in the tourism industry. Among the most recent positions held, there are those of Project Manager and Coordinator of the “Next Tourism Generation Alliance” (Blueprint project co-financed by the European Union and implemented over four years by 14 partners representing 8 European countries) and Team Leader of the project “Upskilling and Reskilling for the Green and Digital Transition of the Italian Tourism Sector” (contracted by DG REFORM of the European Commission).
Giovanni Figini

Keynote Speaker

Giovanni Figini

Director, Oliver Twist School - COMETA Formazione

Giovanni Battista Figini, school manager of Cometa Formazione – Oliver Twist School. A graduate in Modern Literature from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, he holds a PhD in ‘Training of the individual and the labour market’ from the University of Bergamo. Active in various educational innovation projects, he is also the promoter of the methodological-didactic innovation project ex art. 11 D.P.R. n. 275/1999 called ‘High school – entrepreneurial and craft experimentation of design’, approved by the Minister of Public Education.
Natalia Popova

Panelists

Natalia Popova

Labour Economist, International Labour Organization (ILO)

Ms. Natalia Popova is a senior labour economist with the ILO Labour Migration Branch. Previously, she served as an employment and skills development specialist with the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Office for Central and Eastern Europe, based in Budapest, Hungary. Before joining the ILO in 2009, she worked as an employment specialist at the European Training Foundation, an EU agency based in Turin that supports reforms in vocational education and training, and labour market systems. She has also completed short-term assignments with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Ms. Popova holds a Ph.D. in Governance and Policy Analysis from Maastricht University.
Kenny Muscat

Kenny Muscat

BILT Project Manager, UNESCO UNEVOC

Kenny Muscat joined the Innovation and Future of TVET team at UNESCO-UNEVOC in April 2023. He serves as Project Manager in the Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) project, where he oversees the different lines of the project. He is also the Regional Focal Point for Europe, North America and the Commonwealth of Independent States. After graduating from university, Kenny started working as a Process Engineer and eventually moved to the Malta College of Arts, Science (MCAST) as a Lecturer. During the fourteen years at MCAST he held various leadership positions and also managed different Erasmus+ projects. Kenny holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Master’s degrees in Integrated Product Development and in Business Administration, and Postgraduate Certificates in Vocational Education and Training and in Research Methods.