Italy’s Webuild Eyes African Talent to Fill 10,000 Jobs

Webuild, one of the largest Italian construction firms, is eyeing African talent as it seeks to hire 10,000 skilled construction workers for upcoming projects in Europe.

Its CEO, Pietro Salini, said that finding specialized talent represents a huge challenge, but the company holds Africa in high regard as the source of these workers.

“Just in 2022, we hired 15,000 people, of whom 40% were under 30. It is a huge effort to find them and train them. But it is of the utmost importance to modernize and make Italian infrastructure more sustainable,” he said.

Mr Salini was speaking during a recent conference in Italy dubbed A Dignified Immigration From Africa for Work and the Future of Italy, which was organised by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy.

Due to severe labour shortages across various sectors driven by an ageing population, Italy is racing against time to fill around 600,000 job vacancies by inviting skilled foreign workers. Nearly half of these vacancies are difficult to fill.

It was reportedly estimated that the country would need at least 280,000 foreign workers per year until 2050 to make up for the shrinking national labour force.

Findings by the European Labour Authority showed that there were large gaps in health, science, engineering, and hospitality, opening up opportunities for interested foreign professionals to live and work in Italy.

This is true in the fields of engineers, engineering technicians, skilled construction workers, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and healthcare and social services professionals.

“The infrastructure sector requires evermore specialized workers. This is why Webuild has been investing for years in professional training and a culture of safety and innovation for those wishing to work in [construction],” Mr Salini said.

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From the Messina-Catania-Palermo railway to the Jonica State Road and the Third Giovi Crossing, many projects are currently under construction or starting, asking for thousands of skilled construction workers in Italy.

This has compelled Webuild and other companies to go on a hiring spree to cushion labour shortages currently being experienced in the country.

In January, Webuild signed a $4.7 billion contract for the construction of a freshwater lake as part of Saudi Arabia’s Neom development project.

The company will construct three dams to realize a 2.8 km-long freshwater lake at Trojena, the site for the Asian Winter Games in 2029.

Webuild added that it would also construct the Bow, an architectural feature that will extend the surface of the lake beyond the main dam itself.

This will also host a luxury hotel and residential area.

The resort is being built in the mountains, 50km from the Gulf of Aqaba and Trojena has ambitions to be the first outdoor ski resort in the Gulf region.

Webuild said it plans to complete the project by late 2026.

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