Webuild CEO Pietro Salini: PNRR an opportunity for structural reform and investment in job training, work safety

MILAN, October 22, 2021 - "Professional training and work safety are the two issues that we urgently need to treat as a priority if we want to achieve the goal of accelerated growth set by the PNRR (National Plan of Recovery and Resilience) and other related recovery plans. A public-private alliance is needed, a joint commitment so that these new investments will lead immediately to the creation of quality and long-lasting jobs. What is also needed is a culture of work safety so that the accelerated pace of construction of public works follows a process of execution that guarantees the safety of workers all along the supply chain. The sector needs a new production model that involves the supply chain, just like in other sectors and that brings the system together when it has to face challenges, makes it more efficient and competitive in implementing the PNRR withing the challenging time schedule that has been set," said Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of Webuild, at the 36th convention of young entrepreneurs hosted by Confindustria, the national industrial confederation, in Naples, Italy.

"Companies need to invest in strengthening safety measures so that Italy improves its performance in terms of prevention of accidents at the workplace. We need to aim for zero accidents on every construction site. The experience that Italy had with projects of excellence like the Genova (San Giorgio) Bridge saw us reduce by five times the rate of registered accidents compared with the rest of the country. This was thanks to a monitoring system, continual training, on-site supervision, and the creation of a new safety culture. It is an experience that the Group is applying to some of the 27 infrastructure projects that it is developing in Italy, which involve a supply chain of more than 7,000 companies.

It is an experience we want to share with all of them to we can work together in an integrated and cohesive way," he said. "Providing work to young people and those who have lost their jobs in these difficult months is something that must be addressed urgently and without delay. The lack of investment in infrastructure in recent years has led to a limited supply of skilled labour on the market," said Salini. "Now is the moment to bring demand and supply closer together, creating development paths in various job categories that would involve public institutions, universities and companies with on-the-job training to create a class of workers with the skills that the market needs. This would also help those who are unemployed and need to be retrained."

"The issue has to be dealt with by adopting a long-term plan. At Webuild, we have for some time been working to offer, among other things, scholarships, apprenticeships, internships and management training programmes to young people, often in partnership with the best universities. We are also working with the Scuola dei Mestieri (Trade School), to develop the specialized skills that are most valuable to us, contributing to the training of a new generation of specialized workers," added Salini. "But we are aware that the commitment made by only one group is not enough in such an intense historical moment. Webuild is ready and willing to collaborate on sector programmes. There will be the need for specific financing. We will also need to look at the global market to find any resources that are not available for the moment on the domestic market. Hopefully, some Italians who were forced to look for work abroad will return home reversing the trend of the so-called brain drain. On this front, what we need to do is simplify the bureaucracy of processing quality people who return from abroad."

Webuild is a global leader in the sector of sustainable infrastructure. With a presence in 50 countries, it has a track record that includes more than 13,600 kilometres of rail and metro lines, approximately 80,300 kilometres of roads and highways and 946 kilometres of bridges and viaducts. In Italy, it is building some of the most important public works to modernise the country's transport system, including the high-speed/high-capacity railway between Naples and Bari, and the one between Milan and Genoa known as the Terzo Valico dei Giovi and Genoa Juncture. It is also working on the Ionian State Highway in Calabria and metro lines in Naples, Rome and Milan.