THEhe Public administration is experiencing a profound metamorphosisopening the doors to a new generation of professionals who do not refuse a permanent job at all.
Work and permanent jobs, the public administration hires young people
The engine of this turning point is called inPA, the single recruitment portal born in 2022 which has digitized access to public competitions. From its inception to today, the platform has recorded record numbers, exceeding 730 thousand advertised positions through over 63 thousand selection procedures, including competitions and notices. The most interesting thing, however, was the response of the citizens: a wave of adhesions: portal subscribers have reached 3.2 million of which over half are under 40 years old. In short, the permanent job has once again become an object of desire, but with completely new rules.
A great return to the desire for stability
In an often precarious and fragmented labor market, the stability offered by the public sector has regained a very powerful appeal. However, the reasons that push young people towards public administration do not stop at the security of their salary.
There’s more: becoming part of the state machine today it means dealing with digitalisation, environmental sustainabilityservices to citizens and territorial development. For many women and men under forty, public employment has become a real career opportunitya place where you can put fresh skills to the test and contribute directly to Italy’s economic and social stability.
From the digital turn to European projects, public work is renewing itself and attracting new generations. (Getty Images)
The portal that works like a social network
Much of the merit of this rapprochement, goes to simplifying the application procedures. There inPA platform it has retired the old bureaucratic procedures made up of registered letters, paper forms and long waits. The system today is inspired by the logic of modern private professional networksmaking registration immediate and accessible.
To participate in a selection, simply register on the site using the Spid, or electronic identity card. Once you have uploaded your CVthe skills possessed and the experiences gained, the platform allows you to monitor calls for tenders and apply in just a few clicks. This transparent and fast mechanism it has convinced almost a million new users in the last year alonedemonstrating that when the state speaks a modern language, citizens respond.
A knowledge pact between senior and junior
The entry of so many new resources into public offices brings with it the need to manage an unprecedented coexistence. The average age of state employees is still quite advanced, around 50 years old. From a survey carried out on a sample of public employees whose results were presented at the FORUM PA on June 9, 2026, there is a strong demand for tools that encourage dialogue between colleagues of different ages.
60 percent of staff ask for the activation of programs mentoringin which the most experienced workers (the seniors) can pass on their skills to new hires. At the same time, 45 percent suggest the reverse mentoringa reverse path in which young people guide more mature colleagues in learning new technologies.
Private life at the center of the office
The evolution of the PA, however, cannot only affect hiring methods, but must completely reshape the lifestyle of employees. Those who choose the public sector today, in fact, ask for a work organization that respects personal well-being. Hourly flexibility and smart working are considered essential requirements by 50 percent of workers, above all to mitigate costs related to travel and to reconcile family time with career time. It adds to this the request for training courses differentiated based on age and specific needs.
Artificial intelligence enters the public
Technological innovation has also already entered the daily lives of public employees, far beyond expectations. As many as 66 percent of employees declare that they regularly use generative artificial intelligence tools in carrying out their duties. However, this technological transition is happening largely through personal initiative. In fact, in six out of ten cases, the use of artificial intelligence is not yet regulated by official guidelines or supported by specific company training courses. The challenge for the near future will be to govern this powerful tool, providing staff with the skills needed to make the most of it.
Simplifications that improve everyone’s life
The modernization of the state machine, which is advancing not so quickly, it is essential to change the daily lives of families and businesses. In recent times, it must be said, there have actually been administrative simplification initiatives: from the cancellation of the obligation to renew the electronic identity card for citizens over 70, to the elimination of the obligation for businesses to keep paper receipts for electronic payments for ten years. In the world of school and university, then, institutes can now acquire the ISEE automaticallyrelieving families from the burden of having to deliver the paper documentation for registration or benefits.
Permanent job, the Public Administration is young again
In short, there is still a long way to go and the Italian bureaucracy is certainly not famous for its ability as a sprinter, but something has finally started to move. The real challenge for the future, therefore, will be twofold: on the one hand speed up this process, on the other, ensure that the 730 thousand new hires bring that necessary agile and digital mentality into public offices to make the state machine run in step with the needs of citizens.