La governance e la pratica del
sistema duale di formazione
Governance and implementation of the Italian dual system
Sandra D’Agostino
ISFOL – Istituto per lo Sviluppo della
Formazione dei Lavoratori
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Key features of the Italian Apprenticeship in comparison
with the German dual System
 The Italian Apprenticeship is a labour and training contract with a
specific supporting legislation; it is located mainly in the labour
market, with limited connections with the education system
 Italian apprentices are paid workers, who participate to training
courses/ experiences in order to acquire different kinds of
qualifications
 Different forms of apprenticeship: three are clearly identified in the
legislation
 Target group: young people from 15 to 29 when entering; it can last
up to 3 years according to collective bargaining
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

2° LEVEL
MASTER
COURSES
2° UNIVERSITY
(Master’s)
DEGREE
(2 Years)
1° LEVEL
MASTER
COURSES
1° UNIVERSITY
(bachelor’s)
DEGREE
(3 Years)
Upper secondary
education diplomas:
Licei, technical
Institutes and
Vocational Institutes
(5 years)
ITS (2 years)
Higher technical
education
Professional
technician
(4 years)
IFTS (1-2 years)
Higher technical
education
professional
operator
(3 years)
Primary and lower secondary education (8 years)
Labour Market
RESEARCH
DOCTORATE
(4 Years)
Different Italian Apprenticeships
Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Forms and purposes of the Italian Apprenticeships
Three main forms of apprenticeship :
1. for acquiring a qualification of professional technician and/or
professional operator: length 3/4 years; access age: from 15 to 25
years; training: at least 400 hours a year;
2. occupationally-based apprenticeship: purpose: to acquire a vocational
qualification or a skills certificate; length 3 years (5 for crafts
apprentices); access age: from 18 to 29 years; training: 120 hours
provided by the Regions in addition to the vocational training fixed by
the collective bargaining;
3. higher education and research apprenticeship: a multi-purpose tool
targeted to young people aged from 18 to 29 (at the beginning)
• to acquire qualification released by the upper secondary or
tertiary education system,
• to enter the registered professions,
• to become a researcher in the private industry.
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Key data on Italian Apprenticeships
Stock and Flows into and ouf of the apprenticeships
Stock indicators
nr
Mean number of employed apprentices in 2011
482.692
Mean number of employed apprentices in 2010
519.525
Flows in&out of apprenticeship in 2010
nr
Young people entering apprenticeships
289.076
Apprentices transformed in permanent employees
176.996
Interrupted apprenticeships contracts
227.151
Apprentices and the labour market in 2010
% of apprentices on 15-29 employed population
% of apprentices on total amount of new labour contract
%
15,1%
3%
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Key data on the Italian apprentices (2010)
Indicators
Age
15-17
18-24
25-29
25 and more
Education attainment
No title
Vocational qualification
Diploma Isced 3
University degree
Main Sectors
Construction industry
Hotel & Restaurants
Retail
Manufactory industry
Value
1,4%
58,5%
32,7%
7,3%
49,5%
8,3%
35,4%
6,9%
15,7%
10,4%
24,3%
23,3%
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
The governance of the apprenticeships
 Key feature of the Italian context:
 the State has an exclusive competence on education and on the
labour contracts
 the Regions (19 Regions + 2 Autonomous Provinces) have an
exclusive competence on vocational training, including training
provided within the apprenticeships contracts
 Being a labour and training contract, apprenticeship is located at the
interconnection of the respective areas of competences
 The State has set up the broad legislative framework; then it has
devolved its role to the Social Partners
 As a result, apprenticeship is managed through a consensus among
institutional subjects (State and Regions) and the Social Partners.
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Training within apprenticeship
Different training obligations according to different forms of apprenticeship.
Some forms of apprenticeship are aimed to acquire qualifications through
full-time education courses:
 apprenticeship for acquiring a professional operator and/or technician
qualification (1st form): at least 400 hours a year according to the
Regions’ regulations; external training provided by private training
centres (not schools!) which have passed an accreditation process to
operate with public funds; same final examination as for those who
attended the full-time education path
 higher education and research apprenticeship (3rd form): the amount
of education is agreed through the collaboration among the
universities/schools (that release the qualifications) and the companies
that employ the apprentices (or their representative organizations) with
the Regions as institutional authorities; external training provided by
universities or schools; same final examination as for those who
attended the full-time education path
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Training within apprenticeship
The occupationally based apprenticeship is the most widespread through
the country:
 120 hours to develop key skills and competences through training
courses provided by accredited training centres and funded by the
Regions
 technical skills and competences provided under the responsibility of
the company, according to the collective bargaining in order to acquire
a qualification or a skill certificate. This training can be provided by
training centres or by the enterprises themselves if they fulfil the
requirements agreed by the Social Partners, that generally consider:
human resources involved in the training; equipment, location,
machineries; availability of an instructor with specific requirements.
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Quality of training for all apprentices
• The training is provided according to an individual training plan,
that is elaborated by the enterprise, referring to the professional
standards stated by the collective bargaining;
• Training for apprentices is provided:
 according to curricula, for those apprenticeships aimed to
acquiring qualifications released by the education system;
 according to standards defined by the Social Partners referred to
job profiles; in the next future all the standards will be linked to
the National Repertoire of Qualifications with a national
recognition.
• Each apprentice must have a tutor in the company, who is the
person in charge for taking him/her to a successful learning
experience through the apprenticeship. Requirements for being an
enterprise tutor: years of professional experience; employment grade;
compulsory training
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Weaknesses to cope with
• A new legislative framework for apprenticeships has just been
implemented (from April 25th): it takes time to be fully implemented, and a
strict monitoring action to identify and possibly solve critic points.
• Some weaknesses of the context:
– The global crisis has lowered the supply of apprenticeship places and
investments on training, especially because of the small size of Italian
firms; overlapping with other labour contracts or other actions for young
people make it less profitable;
– Poor dialogue among schools, Universities and enterprises make it
difficult to implement those apprenticeships more linked to the
education system;
– The social partners are hardly elaborating global strategies, that
include the development of apprenticeships as first step of a
continuous training system aimed to the growth of the sectors and of
the productive system, as required by the new law on apprenticeships.
Napoli, 12-13 novembre 2012
Lavorare insieme per l’occupazione dei giovani

Gemeinsam für die Beschäftigung junger Menschen arbeiten
Strenghts to work on
• Apprenticeship is highly considered by the institutional
parts (Government and Regions) as a tool to invest, in
order to cope with the young people unemployment and
to increase the level of qualification;
• The Social Partners have agreed to contribute to the
establishment of new framework and to work towards the
new perspective in order to boost growth and
competitiveness of the Italian economy.