“The skills gaps affect the sphere of digital knowledge in a worrying way. Today only 44% of Italians have digital skills, 13 percentage points less than the EU average, an area in which we are fourth from last". This was stated by the Governor of the Bank of Italy, Ignazio Visco, at the inauguration of the 2019/20 academic year of the University of Cagliari.
“The comparison sees us at a disadvantage in all age groups – he added – and especially among individuals who have not completed their higher education cycle. The data indicate that, compared to other countries, Italians attend school less, learn less and pay little attention to training even after school. Considering that the unemployment rate is also high and participation in the labor market low, this brings the share of so-called 'Neets', young people not engaged in study, work or training, to levels well above the European average”.
Visco added that “we need to study more, at school and during working life. Indeed, education, particularly university education, remains a profitable investment. Although education yields, in Italy, less than the average of the other OECD countries - a factor that fuels the so-called "brain drain" - higher educational qualifications still have a higher yield than the others".
In particular, “those who are better educated have less difficulty finding a job, have less fragmented careers and earn higher wages. We need to study better. In Italy the debate on education seems to have remained stuck in the opposition between the 'humanistic' and the 'technical-scientific' culture. The importance of both disciplines, on the other hand, is widely recognized today”.
Read Governor Visco's complete speech.
