“Andria is the last Italian city in the ranking of the relationship between graduates and residents. Not in the last places, but the very last one. He doesn’t get along better with graduates” – the former mayor declares Vincenzo Caldarone.
“We know our people: people who are not frightened by the commitment of study or work, and many, many of our kids establish themselves well in professions and knowledge. It is therefore not a question of ability or commitment.
The determining factors of this negative record seem to me:
- The unbearable migration of graduates and trained people that the local economy does not welcome, nor valorise, nor use;
- Cause and consequence of migration, the functioning of the economic circuit which is unable to modernize enough, despite the examples of excellence which are not lacking.
If we take a walk around the center of Bari (I’m not saying Milan or Paris) we witness the establishment of dozens of big consultancy and economic dealers, while professions and business innovation become rarefied in our area.
Not only that: an economy and a society that do not retain knowledge and resources will have a low capacity to create value, a capacity which is now based on technology, innovation, widespread and specialized skills. If you create little value you don’t provide prospects and the vicious circle feeds itself.
Statistics must act as a wake-up call for anyone with a responsibility. Without throwing it into the usual discussion of party affiliation, whereby everything is thanks to or everything is the fault of the mayor on duty, it is necessary for the institutions to react and take the lead in the innovation process that is needed.
- It is urgent to support companies that want to expand through the assignment of areas and new localization initiatives, given that the maximum time has expired.
- It is important to develop the ability to attract innovative initiatives and equip the area with technological infrastructure and services.
- It is crucial that all community partners, from professions to institutions, team up to increase the ability to compete for public resources and investments (given that even the SEZ deadlines expire in vain).
These, and others, are actions that are carried out with a basic unity and vision of the community and the economic and cultural actors. After the dark period of the city’s near-failure, we can and must get out of it soon (it can be done) to dedicate efforts, resources and ideas to ensure that the last, for once, become, I won’t say first, but at least better” – he concludes Caldarone.
