Sofidel Expands Workforce Initiatives Focused on Inclusion, Training and Employee Well-being

Sofidel’s workforce initiatives in 2025 focused on workplace inclusion, professional development, employee engagement and work-life balance. The Italian paper manufacturer introduced programmes supporting migrant workers and refugees, expanded assistance for mothers returning from maternity leave, and launched new training and leadership development projects across the Group.

The initiatives form part of Sofidel’s approach to human capital management, which the company identifies as an important contributor to its organisational culture and long-term value creation. Its stated priorities include developing employees’ skills, encouraging internal career growth and maintaining a working environment based on respect, inclusion and individual well-being.

Sofidel’s approach is guided by its Code of Ethics and internal policies, which emphasise human rights, occupational health and safety, freedom of association and respect for local communities. The Group also states that it rejects child labour, forced labour, discrimination, workplace sexual harassment and bullying.

Its employment policies include measures intended to support professional development and physical and mental well-being. These include role-specific training, flexible working hours and part-time employment arrangements. Sofidel also recognises employees’ right to form and join trade unions or other collective bargaining organisations, as well as their right not to join them.

Sofidel workforce initiatives target inclusion and career development

During 2025, Sofidel developed several programmes intended to strengthen employee engagement, encourage a sense of belonging and create opportunities for professional growth. Among the main initiatives were projects supporting migrant workers and refugees, working mothers, younger generations and existing employees across its international operations.

Migrants and Refugees project

Sofidel’s Migrants and Refugees project, launched in 2025, forms part of the Group’s efforts to develop a more inclusive employment policy. It seeks to improve employment opportunities for migrant workers and refugees from disadvantaged countries through fair contractual arrangements, intercultural support networks and internal mentoring.

The programme is intended to support integration into the workplace while taking account of employees’ physical and psychological well-being. Two initiatives were introduced at Sofidel’s Italian production facilities: the Welcoming & Inclusion Project and the Ghana Project.

Welcoming & Inclusion Project: Launched in early 2025, this initiative resulted in the recruitment of nine people from non-European countries who were living in Italy with political refugee or humanitarian protection status.

They were assigned operational roles at three Sofidel production plants and took part in training and mentoring programmes. Following the probation period, six of the nine recruits received offers of permanent employment.

Ghana Project: Developed in collaboration with Confindustria Alto Adriatico, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and employment agency Umana, this programme involved recruiting four workers from Ghana for warehouse positions at one of Sofidel’s production facilities.

Preparation began in Ghana, where the candidates received Italian-language instruction and acquired basic job-related skills. They subsequently continued their training through work placements in Italy.

#RIPARTO supports mothers returning to work

Sofidel also expanded its support for working parents through the #RIPARTO project. In 2025, the company rolled out this work-life balance model for new mothers across its Italian subsidiaries.

The project followed Sofidel’s success in a national tender organised by the Office of the Prime Minister of Italy. It was designed to help women manage the transition back to employment after maternity leave.

The measures introduced include additional paid leave, contributions to supplementary pension schemes and refresher training for employees returning from maternity leave. The programme also provides for agreements with nurseries and access to parenting support services.

Training and education initiatives support future skills

Sofidel’s workforce development strategy also extends to students and young people preparing to enter the labour market. The Group works with schools and universities to help bridge the gap between academic education and the practical skills required by businesses.

Its activities include career guidance sessions covering specialised roles in the paper industry, lectures and seminars delivered by company specialists, work-study programmes and internships. Students can also visit company facilities to learn about paper production processes and the technologies used in manufacturing.

One of Sofidel’s significant academic partnerships involves the establishment of Italy’s first master’s programme specifically designed for the paper industry. The Paper and Board Engineering programme is offered at the University of Pisa and was developed with the participation of Sofidel and other industry partners.

Delivered entirely in English, the course aims to prepare specialists with multidisciplinary knowledge of paper products, manufacturing processes and plant management. Its curriculum was developed to address skills requirements identified by companies in the sector.

Sofidel contributes by providing specialist lecturers, hosting students for work placements and supporting dissertation projects. The company also enables some employees from Italy and its international subsidiaries to attend individual courses, allowing them to strengthen their technical knowledge as part of continuing professional development.

Employee engagement programmes focus on leadership and innovation

Following an employee engagement survey conducted in 2024, Sofidel identified several areas for improvement. These included internal communication, employee belonging, professional growth, performance and accountability, trust in leadership and innovation.

The Group introduced a series of projects during 2025 to address these areas.

Leadership Programme

The Leadership Programme is intended to strengthen managerial capabilities and improve leadership practices, with particular attention to employee recognition, change management and trust in management.

The programme consists of training designed around three managerial clusters. Its learning objectives and content were developed centrally, while taking account of the cultural differences across Sofidel’s multinational operations.

Training sessions began in participating European countries during the first quarter of 2025. The programme is expected to continue in subsequent years, both to support managers who have already participated and to provide training for new managers.

L&D Factory

Sofidel introduced the L&D Factory as an online learning and professional development resource for employees across the Group.

The platform provides access to a library containing thousands of courses covering personal and professional development. Courses are available in multiple languages and include subtitles to improve accessibility.

The subjects range from soft skills to technical and other job-related capabilities. The catalogue is updated on an ongoing basis to reflect changing business requirements and developments in the market.

Employees can choose courses that match their own development objectives and devote part of their working time to training. Managers can also assign courses directly to members of their teams, supporting more coordinated learning and development.

CEO Talks

The CEO Talks initiative was launched in the second quarter of 2025 to strengthen communication between senior management and employees.

Under the programme, the chief executive officer provides quarterly updates covering the Group’s strategy, objectives, achievements, investments, new initiatives and areas requiring improvement.

The communications are delivered through short videos. Artificial intelligence is used to help subtitle and translate the content into the Group’s official languages, making