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 Italian Dual Education in South Tyrol: New Offers for Companies are Needed to Support Apprenticeship

Renzo Roncat, Direttore  Area formazione professionale italiana | Bereichsdirektor italienische Berufsbildung

Prof. Judit Szabo, Landesberufsschule für Handwerk und Industrie "Luigi Einaudi" Bolzano | Scuola professionale provinciale per l'artigianato e l'industria "Luigi Einaudi" Bolzano

The vocational education and Training system (Formazione Professionale) in South Tyrol is regulated, financed and managed by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. The vocational schools guarantee that the three language groups can follow the education in their respective mother tongue (Italian, German, and Ladin as assistant language). Since 2014 students in vocational education and training can attend an annual course state exam preparation to get access to a baccalaureate. The schools provide those students in an apprenticeship program a training of 400 hours per year, which is combined with in-company (dual) training, and with company-based internships of an average of four to six weeks from the second year of their education. The school curricula are based on professional profiles which are integrated into the Provincial Directory of academic qualifications.

Latest challenges of the VET system concern the inclusion and support of young people. There is a high rate of young people with a migrant background in the basic VET courses. They lack Italian language competences and need to be assisted during the internships. There is also a strong demand for support from young people who drop out from education or do not find employment after having finished their education. Furthermore, new technologies and the digitalisation, as in the industry 4.0, are a big challenge for schools and teachers, who need to refresh their knowledge and their professional networks continually. 

Apprenticeships are one of the most effective ways to fight youth unemployment and to avoid a mismatch of young peoples’ skills and interests and the needs of the economy. Nevertheless, the number of apprenticeship contracts has been decreasing during the last years. To stop this negative trend, employers need to be provided with a reinforced apprenticeship support service. The offer, which is managed by a special service, aims to candidates with the most suitable transversal and professional skills, by setting up a three-way training agreement (companies-apprentice-vocational school) as soon as the employment contract is signed.

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