La qualifica professionale è richiesta nella sede di lavoro.

Because richiesta agrees with la qualifica professionale, which is a feminine singular noun phrase.

• qualifica = feminine singular
• so the past participle/adjective must also be feminine singular
• richiesto would be masculine singular
• richiesta = feminine singular

This is the same kind of agreement you see in:

• Il documento è richiesto
• La qualifica è richiesta

It can be understood as a passive construction, and in practice it means is required.

Structure:

• è = is
• richiesta = past participle of richiedere used in agreement with the subject

So La qualifica professionale è richiesta literally works like The professional qualification is required.

In many everyday contexts, Italian speakers do not strongly separate the idea of passive from an adjectival result here. For a learner, the most useful idea is:

• essere + past participle often gives the meaning to be + past participle
• here: is required

Italian uses articles more often than English.

So where English might say:

• Professional qualification is required

Italian usually prefers:

• La qualifica professionale è richiesta

The article la makes the noun phrase sound natural and complete. Without the article, Qualifica professionale è richiesta would sound unusual in standard Italian.

It is a noun phrase made of:

• qualifica = noun
• professionale = adjective

The adjective comes after the noun, which is very common in Italian.

So:

• qualifica professionale = professional qualification

This noun + adjective order is one of the most normal patterns in Italian:

• documento ufficiale
• esperienza lavorativa
• certificato medico

Because in Italian, adjectives often come after the noun by default.

So:

• qualifica professionale
• not usually professionale qualifica

Putting the adjective before the noun is possible in some cases in Italian, but it often changes the style, emphasis, or meaning. In this sentence, the normal order is simply:

• noun + adjective

Nella is the contraction of:

• in + la = nella

So:

• nella sede di lavoro = in the workplace / at the work site / at the workplace location

Italian commonly combines certain prepositions with definite articles:

• in + il = nel
• in + lo = nello
• in + la = nella
• in + i = nei
• in + gli = negli
• in + le = nelle

So nella is not a separate word to memorize on its own only; it is part of a regular pattern.

Because sede here is being used as a specific noun phrase with the definite article:

• la sede di lavoro = the workplace / the work location / the work site

Then in + la becomes nella.

If you said in sede, that can exist in Italian, but it is a different expression and usually has a more idiomatic or context-specific meaning, often closer to on site, at headquarters, or in the proper setting, depending on context.

In this sentence, nella sede di lavoro is the straightforward, fully expressed form.

Literally, it is something like workplace location or place of work.

Depending on context, it can mean:

• workplace
• work site
• office location
• place of employment

The noun sede often means:

• seat
• location
• headquarters
• branch office
• site

So the exact English translation can vary. In administrative or formal language, sede di lavoro often refers to the official place where someone works.

Because di lavoro is functioning as a simple complement meaning of work or for work, and this is the normal idiomatic expression.

Compare:

• sede di lavoro = work location / workplace
• orario di lavoro = working hours
• contratto di lavoro = employment contract

If you used del lavoro, it would suggest something more specific like of the work or of the job, which is not the usual expression here.

So di lavoro is the natural fixed combination.

Yes. Italian allows some flexibility in word order.

For example:

• La qualifica professionale è richiesta nella sede di lavoro.
• Nella sede di lavoro è richiesta la qualifica professionale.

Both are grammatical.

The difference is mainly one of focus:

• starting with La qualifica professionale focuses first on what is required
• starting with Nella sede di lavoro focuses first on the place or context

Italian often moves elements around more freely than English for emphasis or style.

Yes, it sounds fairly formal or administrative.

Expressions such as:

• qualifica professionale
• è richiesta
• sede di lavoro

are common in official notices, job descriptions, workplace regulations, or HR language.

In more everyday speech, someone might choose a simpler wording depending on the situation. But this sentence is perfectly natural in formal written Italian.

The accent distinguishes è from e.

• è = is
• e = and

So here:

• La qualifica professionale è richiesta... means
• The professional qualification is required...

Without the accent, it would be the wrong word.

A careful pronunciation would be roughly:

• La kwa-LEE-fi-ka pro-fes-syo-NA-le eh ri-KYE-sta NEL-la SE-de dee la-VO-ro

A few helpful points:

• qu in qualifica sounds like kw
• gli does not appear here, so that common difficulty is not involved
• ch is not present, so richiesta has a ky-like sound in the middle: ri-KYE-sta
• è is pronounced like eh

The natural stress is on:

• qualifica
• professionale
• richiesta
• sede
• lavoro