Youth, education and work in Italy

1. W2L2W project
Brescia, December the 12th 2013
“No country for young people”
Youth, education and work in Italy

2. Contents
1. The Education system
2. Early school leavers
3. Youth Employment
4. Youth Unemployment
5. Social Benefits
6. Best Practices

3. Giving a brief presentation of the Italian context from a regulatory point of view is an
hard task. Italy is the birthplace of modern law, and Italians “love” to produce
legislation… A meaningful figure: in the graph the number of laws in force in Italy
compared to other European countries…
160000
140000
120000
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
Great Britain
Germany
France
Italy
So when presenting the legislation relating to
benefits, compensation, assistance, etc.. keep in mind that we had to
simplify.

4. EDUCATION

5. Education in Italy
6
Compulsory education
16
Compulsory training 18
Apprenticeship
Secondary school
(1° degree)
Secondary school
(2° degree)
3 years
Primary school
5 years
5 years
6
7
8
9
10
18
11
12
13
14
15
AGE
16
University
3
17
18
19
20
University
+
21
2 years
22
23

6. Secondary school (2° degree): detail
• High school: 5 years duration, main goal is to prepare students to enter
university rather than to enter into the work market
• Technical Institutes: 5 years duration. 2 main branches, divided into
different specializations: economics (i.e tourism sector, commercial and
administrative law..); technology (i.e mechanics, electronics, computer
science,
chemistry
and
materials,
agro-industry
and
agribusiness, nautical and aeronautical, video and music making..). More
focused on the work market. It allows access to university.
• Professional institutes: main goal is to train to a profession but unlike
high schools and technical institutes offer a less theoric and more
practical training. Focused on the work market. It allows access to
university.

7. Apprenticeship
is a labour contract with a training purpose. The apprentices earn a wage and
work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills while attending a
training program provided both by the enterprise and off-the-job by a training
centre or a school/university.
Regulated by law: at national level the “Testo Unico” Act (2011) set the main
framework and established responsibilities. Regions regulate apprenticeship
especially for what concerns training; trade unions and employers’organizations through collective bargaining - establish the rules for the application of the
contract. Divided into 3 typologies (see next slide)
Duration: up to three years (five years in handycraft) to complete depending on
the type, the industry sector and regional regulations. Salary determined by the
collective agreements.
Young people from 15 to 30 can apply for an apprenticeship in all companies of
the private sector. Most apprentices aim at acquiring a vocational qualification.
They are aged among 18 to 24, almost 1/3 is 25 and older. They are employed
mainly in: tertiary sector, retail SMEs and tourism industry. 50% of apprentices
has gained only a lower secondary education certification.

8. Apprenticeship typologies
1° Type: apprenticeship to gain a vocational qualification or diploma
For young people aged 15 to 25 who want to complete compulsory education through a work-based
experience, in all the fields of activity. The purpose is to gain a vocational qualification or a vocational
diploma, that are certifications of the upper secondary level of the VET system, nationally recognized.
Duration: 3 or 4 years.
2° Type: employment-oriented apprenticeship
For young people aged between 18 and 29 years old, who want to enter the labour market and learn a
job. It allows to gain a qualification based on collective contracts and/or basic or technical skills. Its
duration is generally of three years, five years for craftsmanship. It is the most diffused form, covering up
to 95% of all apprentices.
3°Type: higher education and research apprenticeship
A complex form of apprenticeships, permitting to fulfill different aims. For young people aged between
18 and 29 years old who want to: take an upper secondary level diploma or higher education degree that
could be obtained through a full time education programme as well; gain a technical qualification
through a work-based experience with all the advantages of a labour contract; get a job and become a
researcher in the private industry sector. Duration is not fixed, but decided, depending on the apprentice
project and certification to be gained, among all the partners involved (normally comprising at least a
school or university and an enterprise).

9. EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS

10. How many? (age 18-24)
35
30
24.9
25
20
17.6
15
17.4
13.6
2006
12.8
11.4
10
5
0
8.8
2010
12
10.5
9.7
2012

11. Who?
Why?
40.4
I wanted to earn
59.6
Male
Female
I wanted to work
I could not study
I didn't like studying
I had personal problems
I was confused, I didn't…
Where?
0
10
20
30
40
50

12. Neet
26.0
24.0
23.9
22.0
22.1
22.7
21.1
20.5
20.0
19.8
19.3
18.0
16.0
15-24 years
19.1
18.9
15-29 years
17.7
16.2
16.6
14.0
12.0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012

13. EMPLOYMENT

14. Employment policies: levels of competence
Central Government
a) work, social benefits and retirement legislation
b) incentives
c) management of Social and unemployment benifts trough a special national Agency
d) UE funds planning
e) systemic actions plans, also following EU strategies
f) national councils (observatories) on work and social policies.
Regions
a) directions of Active Work policies (VET and training; Public Work Centers…)
b) systemic regional plans.
Provinces
a) management of Public Employment Centers
b) registration of workers, unemployed and disabled to the related lists
c) local management of ESF and other Employment funds directly or trough the action of accredited Training
and
Work agencies, according to national and regional legislations
d) local systemic actions.
Municipalities
a) work integration of social disadvantaged people.

15. Main agencies in the labor market
 Employment centers: from 1997 “Employment Centers” have been reformed, giving them new
tasks - including providing information, counselling and selection, and a more active role in work
placement. They have the task of matching work demand and offer at local level, under the
authority of the Ministry of Labour and Social policy.
 Temporary employment agencies: Can provide recruitment and selection services and
professional support for job search.. To be authorized they must met specific economic, know how and logistics criteria set by law. Can run training, retraining and labour insertion programs
for socially disadvantaged people.
 Accredited Work Agency: Work agencies authorized by the Regional Government. They offer:
• Information (on incentives, grants, job offers, special projects..)
• Orientation
Our work agency!
• Recruitment and selection
• Support in job search
• On the job mentoring.
Entitled to access regional funding to support their services (so called “sistema dote”).

16. Other actors in the labor market
 Youth Information points: Free municipal services for young people (Sometimes managed by social
enterprises). They provide information and advice about:
• school choice
More in tomorrow morning presentations
• job search
• leisure and holidays
• social engagement activities and volunteer
• experiences of study and/or work abroad.
 Work Integration Services
For mentally and phisically disabled and other socially disadvantaged people. Funded by
municipalities, might be managed by social entrerprises. Beneficiaries are sent by municipal social
workers. Placement is facilitated by the obligation for companies to employ a certain % of people
belonging to these categories.
Our Work Agency runs the WI service
in most of Brescia Province

17. Incentives for employment - 1
The incentive scenario is rather intricate, deriving from a bunch of different laws
enacted at different levels (national, regional and local).
Incentives have different nature: economic, fiscal, legislative or regarding social
security contributions.
Focus on targets (age, gender, territories, sectors..)

18. Incentives for employment - 2
At national level, specific for young people:
 for companies employing people aged 18-29 who have been unemployed from at least
6 months or have not obtained a secondary school degree (decontribution of 650
Euros per month for 18 months)
 for companies offering an apprenticeship contract (elimination of 100% of the
contributions for 3 years)
At national level, all the other incentives are related to different unemployment conditions
(long term enemployment or being part of one of the social benefit programs described
further on)

19. Specific programs
“Dote Giovani” (dote = endownment but also dowry like in marriages)
It is an individual grant - according to the system in force in our Region - that job
seekers can “spend” to obtain training and orientation services from an accredited
work agency.
Periodical, might include an incentive for the enteprise

20. UNEMPLOYMENT

21. Unemployment rate
(national, regional, local)
14.00
12.50
12.00
10.00
10.70
7.79
8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
6.09
3.43
3.19
6.74
3.73
8.42
8.41
5.82
5.79
5.36
5.28
5.60
7.48
6.77
5.77
7.60
data not
available
3.12
0.00
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Italia
Lombardia
Brescia

22. Youth (age 15-24) unemployment rates (national, regional, local)
45.00
40.40
40.00
35.00
35.26
30.00
29.10
25.44
25.00
20.00 20.29
19.78
23.07
Data
not available
Italia
Data
not available
Lombardia
20.75
15.00
10.00
21.26
21.25
18.54
12.86
26.62
27.84
16.72
Brescia
14.22
12.48
8.61
6.09
5.00
0.00
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013

23. Inactivity rate
(data 2011)
45.0
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
37.8
36.7
33.3
30.6
26.3
24.3
22.8
21.6

24. Main unemployment benefits - 1
ASPI (Social insurance for employment)
Economic benefit in favor of employees who have lost their jobs involuntarily
Requirements :
 State of involuntary unemployment .
 At least 2 years of insurance & 1 year of contributions in the last two years
Duration:
Year
2013
2014
2015
< 50
8 months
8 months
10 months
Age
>50 & <55
12 months
12 months
12 months
> 55
12 months
14 months
16 months
Amount:
75% of the average
monthly salary for the
last two years*
*if it is <= 1.180 €/month.
if it is > 1.180 €/month  75% of € 1.180 +
25% of the difference between € 1.180 and the
average monthly salary for the last two years
Decadence:
 loss of unemployment
 re-employment for at least 6 months
 retirement, refusal to participate, without justification, to an active policy initiative (training
, internships , etc. .) or non-regular participation
 non-acceptance of an offer of employment whose pay level is at least 20% higher of the gross
amount of the allowance.

25. Main unemployment benefits - 2
Mobilità (Mobility allowance)
It is an intervention to support redundant workers in case of:
 Depletion of the Extraordinary Redundancy Fund (see next slide);
 Staff reduction;
 Business transformation;
 Company restructuring;
 Company closure.
Requirements: possession of a seniority of at least 12 months, of which at least six of the actual work.
Duration:
Age
< 40
>= 40 & < 50
> 50
in central/northern
Italy
12 months
24 months
36 months
in southern Italy
24 months
36 months
48 months
Amount:
80% of the
theoretical gross
remuneration due

26. Main unemployment benefits - 3
Cassa Integrazione Guadagni Straordinaria (Extraordinary redundancy fund)
A financial benefit that supplements or replaces workers salaries in order to cope with the
crisis of the company or to allow it to deal with restructuring or reorganization.
Requirements: Beneficiaries may be workers employed under a contract of employment
with at least 90 days of seniority.
Duration: from 12 to 36 months, depending on whether it's business
in conversion, restructuring, business crisis or bankruptcy procedure.
Amount: The allowance amounts to 80 % of the salary that the employee would have
received for the hours not worked between zero hours and the contractual time limit and
no later than 40 hours per week .
For the year 2013 thresholds are set in:
€ 959,22 gross per month for those employees whose remuneration is less than or
equal to € 2.075 gross per month;
€ 1.152,90 gross per month for employees who have a salary greater than € 2.075 gross
per month.

27. SOCIAL BENEFITS

28. Social spending
A look at social spending in Italy, compared to the rest of Europe
Old age
0.2
51.3
Italy
1.9
social benefits for
relatives
Family
Disabilities
1.4
38.8
EU 15
Housing
5.3
Disease
1.4
39.1
EU 27
5.2
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Unemployment
Social exclusion
100%
Social spending in Italy is strongly unbalanced to the benefit of the elderly
rather than family and young people

29. Social benefits
National level
(law 328/00 defines the minimum levels of assistance)
Services: in general, municipalities provide:
Social housing
Residential services
Education and care for children, disabled and
elderly
Services of first asylum for homeless.
Municipal economic aid may result in:
Fixed monthly allowance for short periods
Total or partial contribution for creche and kindergarden fees
Vouchers to spend in the supermarket for groceries
Contribution for households expenses
Checks on the occasion of a new born
Local level
Vouchers for medicines
(specific regulation of services and access policy)
Contribution for rent
Economic contributions: in general you can get financial help when you are in
state of need or you live in a particularly fragile situation (job loss, serious illness
or disability...). Such situations are defined through economic parameters (ISEE
certification) and assessed by a social worker.

30. Italian Best Practice scenario
Multifaceted scenario, different:
 Sources
of
funding
(UE, Ministries, Regions, Foundations, donors..)
 Actors (public, private, Foundations, Third sectors)
 Level of actions

31. Best practice
The industrial district of mechatronics (Bari - Puglia)
Industrial District: agglomeration of enteprises, generally SMEs, located in a limited geographical
area, specialized in one or more phases of a production process and integrated through a complex
network of economic and social relations. They often include training agencies, that through dialogue
with companies adapt their training offer to the marked demand. Today there are aroud 200
industrial districts acknwoledged by law, patchily distributed throughout the country.
Among the more than 200 districts, Bari mechatronics district is recording one of the
best performance. In 2013 export increased of a 40.3%. Relevant results also in terms of
(youth) employment: with support from the companies, the district has opened the first
technical school dedicated to train the profiles required. At the first cycle of
graduation, the school has achieved a performance superior to the best Italian
universities, with 65% of recruitments which has become 80% after a few months.
Public and private organizations are partners of the district: companies (i.e
Bosch), Confindustria, the Province of Bari, the University and other technical schools.

32. Best Practices
Final question and ideas for discussion
 Policies and good practices have impact on different levels
 Levels can be macro (UE, countries, policy, industry
sector..), meso (regional/local levels, districts, organizations) and
micro (thus methodologies/approaches/tools)
 At which levels can W2L2W act?