Italian NPC sign athlete career programme agreement

The collaboration with the Italian Paralympic Committee, as well as the one with the Olympic Committee, intends to be a side offer for athletes [to have] the best opportunities for professional growth by helping to enhance the skills and competencies developed during their playing career

Adecco Italy and the Italian Paralympic Committee have signed a new cooperation agreement, valid until 2020, related to the Athlete Career Programme.

The partnership, which follows the agreement signed between Adecco and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), aims to bring elite athletes together with companies to transfer the unique assets and skills they have acquired during their sporting career to a working environment.

Furthermore, it grants companies access to world-class employees who have accumulated extraordinary traits throughout their sporting careers.

One of the challenges for many athletes is being able to effectively manage the transition of their characteristics and their personal skills from the sports world to a successful professional career.

The agreement signed between Adecco Italy and the Italian Paralympic Committee has among its objectives a plan to involve 100 athletes over the next five years in interviews, career guidance and integration into a working environment, as well as training activities.

The main elements of the Athlete Career Programme are structured to facilitate athletes in

making the transition from sport to the world of work, highlighting their strengths and transforming them with career opportunities.

During this transition, athletes often develop a series of important skills and abilities, the so-called 'soft skills', which today are considered a factor essential in order to succeed and start a career in the world of work. These skills are increasingly sought after by companies.

"Today, soft skills, i.e. all those soft skills such as flexibility, strength of will, ability to work in teams and problem solving, are among the top criteria for selecting the people that the companies will then decide to invest in training,” said Federico Vione, CEO of Adecco Italy.

“The collaboration with the Italian Paralympic Committee, as well as the one with the Olympic Committee, intends to be a side offer for athletes [to have] the best opportunities for professional growth by helping to enhance the skills and competencies developed during their playing career.”

Talking about the extended agreement, Luca Prancalli, President of the CIP, said: "I have always imagined for Paralympic athletes, a path that could lead them by the hand to the world of work.”

"The meeting with Adecco allows the CIP and our athletes to have a unique opportunity with a number of qualified professionals who would probably have been inaccessible without this prestigious partnership.

“Adecco has the necessary know-how; our athletes the passion and determination to reach each goal. I am sure that this agreement will be even more significant than in the past.”

The Athlete Career Programme now involves more than 30 countries around the world, with over 8,000 top athletes taking part. In Italy, over 1,200 athletes have participated in the programme since 2001 and in addition, 739 athletes have participated in the training courses organised by Adecco.