Voices from the Peripheries: insights on Padova student situation

In Italy, professional opportunities are frequently perceived as being concentrated in major metropolitan canters such as Milan and Rome. This perception raises an important question regarding the role of mid-sized academic cities like Padua.

Despite hosting the historic University of Padua, one of the oldest universities in the world, the city faces persistent challenges in retaining the highly educated graduates it produces.

The issue is not merely the aspiration of young people to migrate toward larger urban canters; rather, it reflects structural limitations within the local labour market that constrain the availability of professional opportunities. Padua represents a significant hub for higher education and knowledge production.

During the 2022–2023 academic year, university enrolment in the region increased by approximately 20.8%, with more than 24,000 students residing in the city.

While this growth demonstrates the city’s capacity to attract and cultivate talent, the expansion of the local economy has not kept pace with the increasing number of graduates entering the labour market. Consequently, the expansion of professional employment opportunities has not kept pace with the growing supply of qualified graduates

This situation leads many students and recent graduates to rely on precarious, low-paid forms of employment to meet basic living expenses. In practical terms, this often involves working in low-wage service-sector jobs such as employment in bars, restaurants, hotels, or digital delivery platforms in order to cover basic living expenses. For most graduates, these forms of employment are not aligned with their academic training or long-term career goals. Rather than functioning as temporary supplementary work, such positions frequently become a necessary but unstable means of financial support.

These conditions contribute to a broader cycle of underemployment among highly educated individuals. Graduates may become trapped in positions that offer limited job security, minimal social protections, and few prospects for professional advancement. The situation is particularly challenging for certain demographic groups. For example, in 2023 the overall unemployment rate in the region was relatively low at 4.2%, yet unemployment among foreign-born graduates reached 6.7%, indicating a persistent disparity in access to professional opportunities.

While the official unemployment rate in Veneto sits at a seemingly low 4.2%, the 'Fondazione Migrantes 2025' report reveals a deeper crisis: Veneto is now the second region in Italy for emigration.

With over 70% of these 'Italians in flight' being young adults (18-34), it is clear that the periphery is losing its future to a lack of high-skilled labour absorption, leaving those who remain especially foreign-born graduates trapped in the precarious gig economy.

Taken together, these dynamics illustrate what can be conceptualized as a “peripheral trap.” Although Padua possesses considerable intellectual capital and educational resources, a significant portion of its emerging workforce struggles to integrate into the local professional economy. As a result, the city risks functioning as a temporary stage in young people’s lives a place where they study and work briefly before relocating to larger economic canters.

Addressing this challenge requires a shift in perspective.

Young workers employed in low-skilled sectors should not simply be viewed as part of the city’s service labour force; their experiences instead reveal structural weaknesses in the transition from higher education to professional employment. Strengthening connections between local industries, institutions, and graduates could help bridge this gap.

By creating pathways that link the city’s academic talent with meaningful professional opportunities, Padua could better enable its graduates to establish long-term careers locally rather than feeling compelled to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Bibliography

• AlmaLaurea. (2025, June). XXVII indagine sulla condizione occupazionale dei laureati. https://www.almalaurea.it/

• Banca d’Italia. (2025). Rapporto regionale sull’economia del Veneto. https://www.bancaditalia.it/

• Fondazione Migrantes. (2025). Rapporto Italiani nel Mondo 2025 (D. Licata, Ed.). Tau Editrice. https://www.migrantes.it/rapporto-italiani-nel-mondo-2025-20-anni-di-mobilita-italiana-non-fuga-ne-cervelli-ma-talenti-che-scelgono/

• Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT). (2023). Rilevazione sulle forze di lavoro: Report annuale. https://www.istat.it/

• Università degli Studi di Padova. (2023). Annuario statistico dell’Università di Padova: Anno accademico 2022/2023. https://www.unipd.it/

Written by Muhammad Ali - Master in Human rights and Multilevel Governance in UniPD

Edited by Sofia Tamagni - Master in Human rights and Multilevel Governance in UniPD