Internship
In Italian schools, theory is still separated from practice, as knowledge is still separated from know-how. What's more, Italy's productive system has difficulty in incorporating and producing knowledge: new job demand is mostly for positions with low-level qualifications and investments in research and innovation are not sufficient. The Government aims to get involved in the strategic interests of both education and business: in the case of education, the Government can be perceived as a resource and factor of development for the nation. For business it can take the lead in training, with its function extending beyond so-called "learning by doing" to the actual investment in training programmes. The Government intends to be heavily involved in training, with an extraordinary plan that places the training needs of the productive system at the centre of the agenda. A decisive factor is the planning of training based on the analysis of the needs for professional profiles and skills95.
When looking at the link between education and the business world, the role of apprenticeships needs to be emphasized as a mechanism that makes it possible for many young people to enter the job market. With its first employment-related legislation, the Government has introduced reforms regarding apprenticeships, underscoring the role of firms as trainers. Apprenticeships have furthermore been the target of intense regional legislation that has disciplined its training aspects96.
With further reference to apprenticeships, the Regions have embarked on an important experiment97 with regard to "high-level training"98. Employers now have the possibility of implementing agreements with universities in order to integrate training programmes and the local economic system's demand for labour. The apprenticeships for high-level training are available to persons between the ages of 18 and 24, who are pursuing the completion of secondary school studies, a university degree or other advanced education programmes, including research doctorates. The 2007-2013 Operational Programmes of the European Social Fund contemplate both direct initiatives for raising the quality of the training given, and precise means for accessing training (e.g. personalised training provided via vouchers) as part of the priority of adaptability across various settings.
(Source: LISBON STRATEGY FOR GROWTH AND JOBS NATIONAL REFORM PROGRAMME 2008-2010)
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