A day at Confindustria in Rome featuring panels, workshops, networking and direct dialogue between seniors and students

Giving space to young people

The impressive headquarters of Confindustria in Rome hosted the debut of Next JEn Consulting, an initiative launched by the Assoconsult Youth Team in collaboration with JE Italy, the network bringing together nearly 2,000 students from 36 Italian universities, and ConfuMedia, an independent media company that has built a community of over 96,000 followers through its Consulenza Confusa project.

Alongside the other event sponsors, Lattanzio KIBS took part in the day with the shared goal of bridging the gap between academia and the world of work, fostering synergies and offering more than 150 students from Italy’s Junior Enterprises the opportunity to engage openly with consulting firms and professionals.

Consulting careers: challenges, opportunities and new models

During the morning, Ezio Lattanzio joined the senior panel “A career in consulting: the entrepreneurs’ perspective”, sharing his insights on the evolution of the sector and the challenges facing younger generations. The discussion challenged traditional narratives: consulting careers do not follow fixed tracks, but are shaped by personal choices, opportunities seized along the way, and often non-linear paths. The idea of consulting as a mere “training ground” or short-term springboard was critically examined, as it risks fuelling unrealistic expectations and pressures, particularly for young professionals expected to handle heavy workloads and responsibilities early in their careers.

Speakers highlighted the importance of soft skills, the subtle balance between appearing competent and being competent, and the role of luck—understood as the meeting of talent and opportunity. They also addressed the tension between generalist and specialist skills, and the key role of artificial intelligence, seen not as a threat but as a tool to be harnessed. The debate concluded by emphasizing the value of mentoring, intergenerational dialogue and the development of more sustainable work models, to ensure that consulting is not only a formative experience but also an inclusive and enduring career path.

At the heart of the event were the workshops, designed to provide students with hands-on experiences through practical cases and direct testimonials. Young colleagues from Lattanzio KIBS shared their own stories as KIBSers in an innovative format, offering students a real look at what it means to work on consulting projects.

The Company Fair completed the program by turning networking into a true space for mutual growth and offered an opportunity to introduce students to the benefit initiative YouthinkPA and the Thesis Award, designed to give value to dissertations and research projects focused on the public sector.

Topics Italy | YouthinkPA | Event | Youth

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