On 29th March 2022 60 people including 20 main stakeholder met online to compare and to find out more about the main actors of work-based learning at national level based on the results from Eduwork.Net.
The event was divided into two panels. The first, entitled “A WBL experience in Italy: the voice of the protagonists”, heard the experiences of trainers, students and representatives of companies that have participated in apprenticeship projects and have reiterated and confirmed the usefulness of practical experience in a work situation to give rise to meaningful learning. In the second panel, entitled “Origins and perspectives of WBL in Italy: the voice of the institutions”, the initial moment of experimentation of this training offer was recalled, the most recent data were illustrated as a result of periodic monitoring by the institutional body Inapp and some proposals for developing first and third level apprenticeship in Italy were discussed.
The event highlighted how the main expressions of WBL in Italy (dual system, apprenticeship and VET provided by training institutions accredited by the Regions) are certainly an effective choice on many levels and offer an inclusive education, welcoming, for example, 7.5% of students with disabilities, 13.6% of foreign origin, and over 53% with unsuccessful school curricula behind them, who, thanks to WBL methods, manage to complete the cycle of study by reaching the final qualification. The dual system proves highly effective not only in stemming or combating school drop-outs, but also in terms of transition to work (about 70% of young people within 6 months of their qualification/diploma are placed in the world of work). The steadily rising enrollment numbers confirm the validity of this offer, which for many is increasingly becoming the first choice after “middle school” (157,000 students in a.s 2019/20 and growing slightly, Inapp data). Despite these positive data, during the round table, it was reiterated that unfortunately, due to political choices that are rooted in time and institutional short-sightedness that remain, this system has not yet been fully implemented in all regions, and in some it is even completely absent.
Next steps: The final part of the event, with the “Confrontation with Social Partners and Institutions” was an opportunity to collect useful ideas and suggestions that helped FORMA Nazionale, with the support of the main trade unions, to develop a document to be brought to the attention of the Minister, with some operational proposals both to guide the process of renewal of the National Collective Labor Agreement of VET in Italy, and to promote an effective continuous improvement of the vocational training system in Italy and the request to organize a permanent coordination with the Committees of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces.
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