The Athlete Career Programme aims to provide support to elite athletes in the areas of education, life skills and employment and make the transition from sport to the world of work, highlighting their strengths and transforming them with professional career opportunities.

The agreement signed between Adecco Italy and the CIP plans to involve 100 athletes over the next five years in interviews, career guidance and integration into a working environment, as well as training activities.

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

"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."

Paralympic champion Martina Caironi could be one of the athletes to benefit from the Athlete Career Programme in Italy ©Getty Images




Adecco, whose headquarters are in Glattbrugg in Switzerland, has been delivering the Athlete Career Programme in partnership with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 2005, while it began working with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in 2007.

The programme is now being delivered in partnership with National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees in more than 30 countries.

A particular focus of the programme is on developing 'soft skills' which are essential for a successful career and are what companies look for the most when recruiting according to Adecco Italy chief executive Federico Vione.

"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 Vione.

"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."

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