Comincenter

The Comincenter (www.comincenter.com) is a project that was born in the spring of 2014 within a former station of FAL (Ferrovie Appolo Lucane) in Matera. The project originated from a collaboration with the University of Basilicata and the committee (now foundation) matera-basilicata2019, being among the projects mentioned in the application dossier for the European Capital of Culture. The project was conceived as an “incubator” of ideas and actions aimed at developing a new model for active labor policies, connecting the world of young university students with the world of work. We have worked hard and consistently over the years to refine the product and the process, relying on our own resources (financial and personnel) without receiving any public funding. Following a public initiative promoted by the University of Basilicata, the ConUnibas Consortium of the University of Basilicata was established in 2015, allowing us to physically allocate the Comincenter within the campus locations in Potenza and, in a few weeks, also in Matera, relocating to the new University campus headquarters. Our focus is not on incubating businesses, but on nurturing individuals.

Today, our center has a community of over 5000 users and has conducted approximately 70 IT training courses, training around 600 people. We have organized about 100 events in the IT, startup, marketing, and employment sectors. We have also facilitated dozens of career days with local companies, achieving a 100% success rate in job offers. However, the most interesting project regarding labor policies is CareerTools, which we have developed and built over these years, boasting an 88.4% success rate in active job searching. CareerTools is a program that offers analysis and development of cross-functional skills and personal awareness (as well as CV reconstruction), aiding both young and older individuals in conducting effective job searches using both traditional tools and innovative digital platforms. For us, the path to follow is to focus on the talents and abilities that are inherently present in ourselves as a community. Today, the CareerTools program is part of the University’s offering of cross-functional skill training.