In La Spezia, Liguria, ten young people have completed Training in an exclusive local restaurant and are to start work in kitchens and restaurants in the area over the coming days. They are all migrants hosted by a shelter called “Citadel of Hope” (Cittadella della Pace), which belongs to the Caritas organization.

The project, run by local government, trade unions and the local adult education center as well as Caritas, aims to promote integration through work.

“This way we provide a solution to two issues: the lack of personnel in the restaurant business and the need for these people to take back their dignity through their own work,” said the Prefect, Maria Luisa Inversini.

“During the training course these people learned about safety regulations at work and to respect hierarchy at work. This initiative also provides an incentive toward integration,” she added.

The training course also offered basic knowledge about HACCP (the set of procedures to certify that hygiene and food safety training was provided, with the aim of guaranteeing a high level of health safety for consumers).

The course took place at the Court’s Tavern restaurant (L’Osteria della Corte), which has earned a mention in the Michelin guide.

“An idea that was born from the request coming from businesses and by the drive of these young adults to find their place in society,” explained the restaurant owner, Andrea Ferrero, commenting that “the course was designed to provide basic training, with easy tasks. A beginning.”

Three-month contract offered to some

There are already a number of restaurants that have offered a three-month contract, among them La Perla del Fiorentino (the Florentine’s Pearl), Palati Fini (“Refined Palates”), and Il Carruccio di Porto Venere (the Small Chariot from Porto Venere).

“We all have this sense of giving back,” explained Father Luca Palei, director of Caritas in La Spezia.

“Following the initial phase of welcoming and shelter, the time comes for these youth to want to get involved. Integration is only its consequence. Those who receive should not be viewed as someone who receives a service, it can also be the person who provides a service,” he concluded.