Eboli Community for Innovation
About us
Eboli Community for Innovation
Our story
EC4I – Eboli Community for Innovation is a brand and a community created in Eboli, in the province of Salerno, to nurture human capital and promote social, educational and entrepreneurial innovation across Southern Italy. The project grew out of the commitment of a Social Promotion Association (A.P.S.) that chose to turn its educational experience into a development model: one that counters the exodus of young talent and creates new opportunities at local and national level.
Our context
With the crisis brought on by Covid and the pervasive rise of “smart working” – remote working – young managers, professionals and entrepreneurs have returned to their home towns to work remotely and to try to create the conditions to stay where they come from, where they often find themselves isolated.
The “south workers” have a slogan: “working from wherever you choose is good for you and good for your home area”. These talented young people who come back to stay – like the courageous entrepreneurs who refuse to leave and create jobs in their communities – find that the main obstacles to development are a lack of infrastructure and a shortage of people trained to enter the job market quickly. In Italy that takes 24 to 48 months after finishing studies; in other countries, just a few months.
Our mission
Our initiative does not replace formal education – neither upper secondary school (high school) nor university – nor the training provided by vocational training bodies accredited by Italy’s Regions and Ministries.
Our initiative is rooted in the local area and complements school education through training pathways linked to the world of business and the new roles it calls for. Our training is voluntary and tied to concrete, real-life projects that let young people learn in the field, work in teams and acquire the foundations of business management.
Our values
Innovation
We promote innovative solutions and build skills suited to the challenges of today’s world of work.
Hands-on training
We believe in learning based on real projects that narrow the gap between education and the world of work.
Local development
We work to create the conditions that allow talent to stay and thrive in the places they come from.
International outlook
We build twinning partnerships and exchanges with European educational organisations: the skills of the future speak more than one language.
Our commitment
At EC4I, we are committed to building a bridge between traditional school education and the concrete needs of the world of work. We offer young people the opportunity to acquire practical skills and develop projects in a real-world setting, supported by professionals and entrepreneurs.
Our goal is to shorten the gap between finishing studies and entering the job market, by creating voluntary training pathways that enrich participants’ CVs with concrete, relevant experience.