The objectives pursued by "UP.S.C.A.L.E." are: - to improve the employability level of 33 Italian graduates in the "food" sector, allowing them to acquire technical skills functional to the creation of innovative, refined, balanced dishes, responding to international tastes and eating styles, and soft skills essential to become a prominent Chef in the national and international panorama (problem solving, team management, clear and empathic communication, stress management; multicultural approach); - to strengthen the skills of the Italian VET system in the "food" sector (FMTS SRL and schools of the Consortium) to design on-the-job training courses that are aligned with sector trends and have a transnational dimension; - to facilitate the updating of Italian catering companies in the light of international operating standards, more responsive to the expectations and demands of such a larger, more diverse and multi-ethnic target; - to promote the concept of the Mediterranean Diet towards future generations and to build a permanent laboratory "Mediterranean Diet 4.0" under the supervision of the municipality of Pollica aimed at young Chefs so that they can be involved in innovative projects in the food sector.
The most recent data from the Excelsior Survey, conducted by UNIONCAMERE and Anpal, reveal that Italy continues to record a growing gap in the intersection of supply and demand in the catering sector (52.5% - July 2022); the percentage reaches almost 60%, for particularly requested professionals, such as cooks and waiters. This happens in a country where youth unemployment reaches 26% (first trimester - Istat2022). "UP.S.C.A.L.E." project was born from an idea of Formamentis SRL which involved Schools that provides Food, Wine and Hospitality courses of study, catering companies, and the Municipality of Pollica (homeland of the Mediterranean Diet with its "Living Museum of the Mediterranean Diet"), in a national Consortium. It wants to be representative of the school/work supply chain and be capable of integrating public bodies in a common work aimed at designing effective paths of work and training excellence in the Italian "food" sector, in order to contribute to the development and relaunch of the food and wine sector in Italy. In fact, although it is a particularly relevant sector for the national economy and has a high employment potential, it is characterized by a significant skill mismatch.