Virtus Lab revolutionizes the relationship between labor supply and demand

by Donata Marrazzo

Aligning job supply and demand. Offering companies a strategic approach to recruit qualified resources, especially in the automotive and agri-food industrial districts or in the pharmaceutical sector, while simultaneously providing young people with new prospects through engagement with companies operating throughout the country. This is the mission of Virtus Lab, a social innovation platform focused on employment inclusion, created by the Augurusa Foundation, established in Filogaso, in the province of Vibo Valentia, which implements venture philanthropy forms, an alternative finance model that focuses on human capital. Virtus Lab provides selected candidates with technical skills, ensuring their job placement, including housing support and psychological or relational support for those who will need to integrate into other social and territorial contexts.

At the Lamezia Terme headquarters, where the Foundation’s “Center for Integral Human Development” is located, 50 young people from various regions are currently completing their training program that will lead to permanent employment in several companies in Emilia Romagna. The number of new hires supported by Virtus Lab thus exceeds 1,500.

This action is also shared with members of UCID (Christian Union of Entrepreneurs and Managers), who, together with companies, institutions, Third Sector organizations, academics, and church representatives, are launching a new pact for dignified work and sustainable development: on October 14 and 15, in Lamezia Terme, they will discuss “Trans-forming human capital to unlock the country’s potential.” An event sponsored by the Italian Episcopal Conference, the Calabria Region, the Province of Catanzaro, and the Municipality of Lamezia, which also reflects on the need to address challenges related to ecological and technological transition.

Behind the initiative is all the enthusiasm and passion of Francesco Augurusa, president of the foundation named in memory of his brother Antonio Emanuele, who passed away as a child due to a tragic accident.

“Through the Foundation, we want to contribute to society’s change and development,” explains Francesco Augurusa, “by helping young people, including disadvantaged ones, or families who need support to enter the workforce. At the same time, we respond to the needs of companies that struggle to identify and hire candidates with suitable profiles. This is a widely felt issue.”

The generative restitution that Augurusa puts into practice…