Professional training and boating: the Sardinia Boat Show discusses the skills of the future

Education, innovation, and new skills for the boating sector were at the center of the talk “Professional Training – Course Towards the Future: Strategies and Investments for Developing Young Talent in the Boating Supply Chain”, held during the second day of the Sardinia Boat Show 2026. The discussion was moderated by Luciano Tancredi, Director of La Nuova Sardegna.

Throughout the debate, the need emerged to strengthen the connection between education and the real needs of businesses, with particular attention to the new professional profiles required by the boating industry.

Regional Councillor for Labour Desirè Manca highlighted how Sardinia now has, after decades, a new regional law on professional training. Among the main objectives identified: a new accreditation system for training institutions, monitoring the operational effectiveness of the structures involved, and enhancing educational offerings, also through digital innovation tools.

On the employment front, Massimo Temussi, Director General for Active Labour Policies at the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, referred to the record national employment figures, with the highest rate of employment and permanent contracts seen in recent decades. In Sardinia alone, government investments aimed at supporting hiring exceeded €40 million over the past year.

Giuseppe Sofia, Director of the Casa del Made in Italy for Sardinia (MIMIT), illustrated the role carried out by the Ministry through the Case del Made in Italy, committed both to collecting and promoting the needs emerging from local territories — including incentives and training initiatives — and to implementing at the local level the initiatives promoted directly by the Ministry. During his speech, he also mentioned the portal dedicated to SME training opportunities, active until June 23.

Significant attention was also given to the services available for citizens and businesses, presented by Luca Mereu, Director General of ASPAL, who emphasized the importance of making educational and employment opportunities more accessible, avoiding mobility costs weighing on the most vulnerable groups and strengthening direct relationships with users.

In his speech, Giampaolo Saba, Head of the Business Support and Territorial Development Division at CIPNES Gallura, explored the work carried out by the Consortium in the fields of professional, managerial, and entrepreneurial training, as part of a broader vision aimed at creating true “knowledge factories.” A model designed to make the development of skills and expertise a strategic element in supporting business competitiveness at both national and international levels.

Among the projects presented were the CIPNES Gallura High Training School for Business Managers, aimed at entrepreneurs, managers, and professionals within the consortium’s production district, and the Nautical Academy Gallura 2026, an inter-company training school developed together with businesses, universities, local authorities, and training agencies. Central to this initiative is the active involvement of companies and the shared goal of reducing the mismatch between labour demand and supply within the boating sector.

The debate also featured contributions from Roberto Neroni, President of the Fondazione ITS Academy Mo.So.S, and representatives of the institutions involved in the development policies of Sardinia’s regional boating supply chain.

The final part of the talk took the form of a roundtable discussion focused on strategies to make the boating sector more attractive to younger generations, also addressing topics such as vertical specializations, innovation, and new communication approaches aimed at young people.