South Tyrol is an autonomous province in Italy with a German, Italian and Ladin speaking population in which a dual VET system, similar to the Austrian, German or Swiss VET system, developed on the upper secondary level in parallel to an apprenticeship system that grew out of the traditional Italian school-based system.

In the opening session of VETNET, South Tyrol experts will share their insights on the status, development and challenges of vocational education and training in South Tyrol.

The German Dual Education in South Tyrol: Dual Education is a Success Story, Albeit Constant Improvements are Needed

Dr. Isolde Moroder, Direktorin, Landesberufsschule Landesberufsschule,  "Dipl. Ing. Luis Zuegg" Meran | Dirigente Scuola Professionale "Dipl. Ing. Luis Zuegg" Merano

Thanks to a highly developed autonomy, South Tyrol had the opportunity to establish its dual education or apprenticeship system (Berufsbildiung), independently of the Italian school-based tradition. In dual vocational education, apprentices spend 80 % of their time in the training company, and 20 % at the vocational school. The ten vocation schools in South Tyrol work closely together with the school administration and political representatives. The dual system allows young people a smooth transition from school to employment. It is seen as an essential factor to strengthen the economy and innovation in South Tyrol.

For a long time, the Italian ministry of education did not take notice of dual education in South Tyrol, which changed during the last years. One reason for the increasing interest might be the low youth employment rate, which is seen as an effect of the dual education.

Even if dual education is attractive, there are still some companies that do not offer apprenticeship places or where the quality of workplace training is behind the expectations. This hesitancy might partly also be caused by the Italian legislation on safety at work and youth employment.

There are many activities within the Euroregion Tyrol-South Tyrol-Trentino to continuously improve dual education. It is important to look beyond the own tip of the nose and to get into an exchange and to cooperate with other European countries with a strong VET-tradition.  

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