Sardinia is not a region for young entrepreneurs. In fact, the island ranks last in the national rankings that measure the ability of regions to offer new generations job, business, training, and suitable conditions for building their future. This is evident from the annual ranking of regions and provinces that are "friendly" to young entrepreneurs, compiled by the Research Department of Confartigianato Imprese Sardegna, which developed the "Youth Friendly 2026" index based on data from UnionCamere-Infocamere, INAIL, INPS, and Excelsior.

The analysis examines 27 indicators, divided into four main pillars: Work, Enterprise, Skills, and Territory. These include, among others, the employment rate for those under 35, the presence of young entrepreneurs, school-business collaboration, the prevalence of apprenticeships, and the net migration of young people abroad or to other regions. A detailed analysis of these dimensions allows us to understand where the greatest challenges lie and where, conversely, the island is showing signs of resilience.

Despite the Region's efforts to support young entrepreneurial activities, the island scores 371 points on a scale of 100 to 1,000, placing it in the low "friendliness" bracket and 20th among Italian regions. This result is far behind the top-ranked regions: Lombardy (727 points), Emilia-Romagna (703), and Veneto (697), compared to the national average of 564 points.

"The snapshot captured by the dossier must not become a verdict on the island's future," comments Mattia Urru, President of the Young Entrepreneurs of Confartigianato Sardegna. "Young Sardinian artisans demonstrate every day that doing business is possible even in a complex context, combining manual skills, innovative ideas, digital tools, and an awareness of new markets." "For these experiences to flourish, however, more favorable conditions are needed," he continues, "such as access to credit, simpler administrative procedures, entrepreneurial training, and incentives that support businesses from the start-up phase to the investments needed for growth."

ONLY 8% OF HIRES UNDER 30 ARE STABLE

The most worrying figure concerns the quality of youth entry into the labor market. In Sardinia, only 8% of hires of under-30s are on permanent or apprenticeship contracts. This is the lowest rate among all Italian regions and less than half the national average of 17.5%. Comparison with the best performing regions makes the gap even more stark: in Piedmont, the rate reaches 21.2%, in Lombardy 20.9%, in Umbria 20.7%, and in Veneto 20.3%.

Businesses' overall demand for young people is also limited. In Sardinia, those under 30 represent 23.5% of expected revenue, compared to the national average of 27.5% and 31.1% in Liguria. However, this does not mean that micro and small businesses are immune to the challenge of youth employment. On the contrary. Nationally, artisan businesses expect a 30.2% share of revenue from those under 30, higher than the 27.2% for non-artisan businesses. Furthermore, in businesses with up to 49 employees, those under 30 represent 20.2% of employees, compared to 15.7% for larger businesses. This figure confirms the role of artisan and small businesses as places where the relationship between young people, employment, and the transmission of skills can become concrete.

GRADUATES: SARDINIA IS LAST

The second major critical issue concerns human capital. In Sardinia, only 23.8% of young people between the ages of 25 and 39 have a university degree or higher education qualification. This is the lowest figure among Italian regions, compared to the national average of 31.1%. Lazio ranks first with 37.4%.

Added to this is a weak integration between schools and the business world: only 8.4% of Sardinian companies are willing to host young people through internships, compared to the national average of 12% and 16.8% in Piedmont. The issue, therefore, is not just how many young people are studying or working, but how effectively the region manages to connect training, skills, and professional opportunities.

DEMOGRAPHY MAKES THE CHALLENGE EVEN MORE URGENT

This regional picture is part of a demographic transformation affecting the entire country. By 2050, Italy will lose approximately 6 million people between the ages of 20 and 64, a reduction of 17.5%. In Southern Italy and the Islands, the decline will reach 26.6%, while for the youngest age group, those between 20 and 34, it will reach 29.8% . Adding to this trend is the mobility of highly qualified young people: over the last ten years, Italy has recorded a negative balance of 117,000 graduates under the age of 35, equivalent to approximately 32 per day.

Yet, our country also boasts a significant entrepreneurial heritage. Italy has 358,000 young entrepreneurs under 30, 16.8% of the European Union total, ahead of France. Italian small businesses also demonstrate a 64.5% propensity for innovation, higher than the European average of 50.3%.

IN THE INTERNAL AREAS, CRAFTSMANSHIP IS A PRESIDIO

Regional photography, however, must not hide another fundamental element: precisely in the most fragile territories, craftsmanship represents one of the most important economic and social infrastructures.

In the municipalities of the Inner Areas, artisans represent 22.2% of non-agricultural employment nationwide, compared to the overall average of 14.5%. Furthermore, in the Islands, 49.7% of the artisan workforce is concentrated in inland and ultraperipheral areas. This is particularly significant for Sardinia and its provinces: Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro, Oristano, and Southern Sardinia cannot be considered merely as administrative territories, but as communities where the presence of small businesses contributes to maintaining jobs, services, skills, and economic relations. Artisanship, especially in small towns, is therefore not simply a productive component. It is often a safeguard against depopulation, a place for professional training, and one of the few concrete opportunities for young people to build their careers without being forced to relocate.

"We can't celebrate the resourcefulness of young people and then leave them alone in the face of bureaucratic obstacles, costs, and the difficulty of finding qualified personnel," Urru emphasizes. " Small businesses aren't a stopgap, but a career choice that can generate innovation, employment, and value. We must enable a growing number of young Sardinians to become entrepreneurs in their own country, helping to build a more dynamic, modern, and competitive economy. We must work to empower young people to transform their potential into opportunities ."

(Unioneonline)

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