Launched: March 2026
The challenge
More than 31% of Southern Italy's sector consists of artists and creative freelancers, but support is limited due to fragmented education paths. As a result, formal training rarely connects with the creative job market, and practical skills often go unacknowledged. In addition, Southern Italy’s CCI ecosystem – which is comprised of 99% SMEs and micro-enterprises – is currently undergoing a transition towards a circular economy.
The ‘Regional Skills Partnerships Catalysing Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) Growth in Southern Italy’ aims to address systemic skills gaps in the region’s creative and cultural (CCI) ecosystem by equipping local workers with the skills they need to support the region and contribute to the green and digital transition. The RSP also aims to create a collaborative education network, fight “brain drain” and prevent labour market mismatches.
The ambition
The RSP aims to support a just transition in Southern Italy by developing creative skills and building a future-ready CCI ecosystem that meets national and European objectives.
A central goal of the RSP is to establish a “Skills Intelligence” framework by 2028 that will track skills gaps in real time, enhance training for the creative workforce in digital, transversal, entrepreneurial, and green transition skills, and incorporate regulatory, financial, and governance measures to support Southern Italy’s long-term stability and resilience.
The RSP will additionally prioritise scalability, with the objective of expanding operations into Campania, Calabria, Sardinia, and Sicily by 2028. Furthermore, it will pursue national replicability through collaboration with regions such as Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna.
Finally, the RSP will use micro credentials to eliminate skills gaps. A common data model and digital dashboards will support strategic decision making amongst regional partners.
The commitments
The RSP has committed to a set of ambitious actions to provide the region’s workforce with the skills needed to drive and sustain the twin transition. Ultimately, it is committed to upskilling and reskilling the creative workforce. It will deliver at least 45 upskilling and reskilling actions for creative professionals by the end of 2028 and test at least three new training models through innovative training formats like hackathons.
The RSP will also provide nine dedicated training actions for members on leading complex networks, managing fundraising and conducting policy advocacy. It will also work to establish a progressive and inclusive network of stakeholders by welcoming at least 20 additional active members from the founding regions of Basilicata and Puglia by 2028.
To enhance regional support, the RSP has pledged to develop a Strategic Plan for Expanding the Stakeholder Base - aimed at maximising economic and systemic impact - and a Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and Operational Toolkit by 2027.
Focusing on dynamic skills intelligence and coordinated financial strategies, the RSP will release three in-depth Skills Needs Analysis reports by 2028, establish an Inter-Partner and Inter-regional Working Group for Financial Alignment, and create a Monitoring Dashboard to track skills gap trends digitally.
The impact
The primary impact of this RSP will be to establish a network that promotes collaboration and enhances the long-term sustainability of the currently fragmented CCI ecosystem.
The RSP’s cross-sector strategy aims to expand into various regions and is intended to deliver maximum economic and systemic benefits. By connecting previously isolated projects, the strategy will create a unified and robust movement across the region.
Additionally, the planned monitoring dashboard will provide a visual representation of the effects of interventions, enabling adjustments as the RSP develops.
View the document below to learn more about the ‘Regional Skills Partnerships Catalysing Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) Growth in Southern Italy.
