Our project to promote equal career opportunities continues with the testimonies of Jessica and Luca. Two colleagues who, despite having different interests and passions, share core values.

In this interview, they tell us about their personal and professional growth journey, offering useful insights and inspiration for our work!

Welcome Jessica, welcome Luca! First of all, I would like to ask you if you could introduce yourself and tell me a little about yourselves.

JESSICA: Hi, I am Jessica from Torre di Mosto. I consider myself a motivated, determined and cheerful person. I like travelling and outdoor activities such as hiking and walking.

LUCA: I am Luca and I live in Portogruaro. I have a passion for swimming and participate in competitions, although at an amateur level. I manage to reconcile everything with work because training sessions, being in the evening from 7.30 to 9.00, do not affect my working hours.

What is your role in PoloPlast? Do you think you have experienced growth? Do you have future plans?

JESSICA: Being an operator, this was my first time in the factory. I like my job and I am happy that I found the strength and drive within me to take this step, which was not at all easy at the beginning. You never stop learning in life. Even simply by changing departments I have always managed to learn something I didn't know before.

LUCA: I have been part of the purchasing department for two years. I take care of everything related to the paper department: from purchasing to receiving, rather than external processing in the case of cups and the scheduling of the various productions.
I started in October 2022, assisted by Natasha who transferred all the know-how inherent to paper production to me. I recently had the pleasure of getting a permanent contract, which confirmed that the company places a certain amount of trust in me. So you work with more head, with more responsibility and continuous growth to keep up with the market and new projects.

JESSICA: I also reasoned in the same way, realising that, having obtained the permanent contract, I want to do more and more every day.

LUCA: You work with a different head... before, at one mistake, even if it was considered insignificant, you thought you would be left at home overnight. When you take that extra step, with a simple signature on a contract, you become more aware of your mistakes and give them a different weight. By standing still and doing nothing you never make mistakes but, equally, you never learn.

And the plan to become a toolmaker?

JESSICA: Well I'd love to! I came here from scratch and I never thought I'd be interested in machines in life (laughs).
But as soon as I was faced with the job I was going to do, the first thing I thought in my head was: ‘I want to learn how to fix the machine myself so I can be independent and not need someone’.

What does gender equality mean to you?

JESSICA: For me it means that all people of both sexes have the same responsibility, the same rights and the same duties... there is no difference and there shouldn't be.

LUCA: Well I agree with what Jessica said, what else to add.... the more space you give to the topic, the more it gets amplified and people notice the problem more. So it's like giving more weight to something that should be obvious, as far as I'm concerned. I know I may be misunderstood, but we should not be put in the position of having a certification for women to become toolmakers, when conceptually it has always been left to men to do this kind of work.

What do you expect or what would you like to see in a company that invests in gender equality?

JESSICA: I noticed right away that there are a lot of women in production, and I find it very positive and encouraging that there is the possibility for us women to perform certain types of tasks, even though it should be the norm.

LUCA: As Jessica said, the presence of women in the company is already very balanced. In the purchasing office there is one man and one woman, rather than the production managers where there is Samuele on one side and Stefania on the other.

Do you feel involved in the work the company is doing to achieve certification?

JESSICA: I do, absolutely. For so many reasons, but especially because I'm a woman, I'm seen by prying eyes when I say I'm a toolmaker.

LUCA: I also feel part of this certification and I am of the opinion that the more weight is given to a topic that is actually a problem, the more the problem will be magnified and the more public opinion will be directed towards that topic.

Thank you for your time!

JESSICA: Thank you!

LUCA: You're welcome!