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What is the internship?

It is an active policy measure that allows trainees to live temporary experiences within a working context for direct knowledge of a profession.

The internship is a period of orientation and training, carried out in a working context and aimed at introducing young people to the world of work. The internship is above all a formative experience: it is not configured as a “job”.

Internships:

In relation to the general purpose pursued, there are in Italy two different types of internships:

1) curricular internships, aimed at young people attending an education or training course and aimed at integrating learning with work experience.

Curricular internships are included in a formal learning process carried out within a study plan of a university, school etc.

The purpose is therefore to refine the learning process through alternating study / work. To start a curricular internship it is necessary to be a student enrolled in the study course, being the internship program activated by the person promoting it.

This type of internship is governed by the regulations of the institute or university and is promoted by accredited schools, universities or training bodies.

2) extracurricular internships, aimed at facilitating the professional choices of young people through a period of training in a productive environment and therefore with direct knowledge of job market. They consist of a period of job orientation and "on the job" training (in a working context), even if it is not configured as an employment relationship.

The extracurricular internship is aimed at creating direct contact between a host and the intern in order to foster the enrichment of knowledge, the acquisition of professional skills and the placement or reintegration into work.

This type of internship is governed in Italy by the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces: at the national level, common minimum standards are defined, referring for example to the qualifying elements of the internship, to the ways in which the intern provides his activity, to the minimum allowance. These standards are contained in the 2017 "Guidelines on internships", adopted by the Unified Conference of the State, Regions and Autonomous Provinces on 25/05/2017. Internships regulated by the 2017 Guidelines can be activated for:

 

• unemployed persons pursuant to Legislative Decree 150/2015 and subsequent amendments;

• workers benefiting from social safety nets in constant employment;

• workers at risk of unemployment;

• employed persons who are looking for a new job;

• disabled and disadvantaged people (including applicants for international protection, holders of residence permit for humanitarian reasons and victims of violence and/or severe exploitation).

The Guidelines do not apply to:

• curricular internships promoted by universities or schools, or in any case not subject to mandatory communications as they are carried out within a formal education or training course;

• internships aimed at carrying out professional practice and accessing the professions;

• transnational internships carried out abroad or at a supranational body;

• internships for non-EU subjects promoted within the admission quotas and governed by the Guidelines of 5 August 2014;

• social inclusion internships that follow the Guidelines of January 22, 2015.

The extracurricular internship includes training in a productive environment and direct knowledge of the world of work.

They belong to this category:

• training and orientation internships, aimed at subjects who have obtained a degree within and no later than 12 months from activation and are aimed at facilitating career choices and employability in the job market;

• work placement / reintegration internships;

• summer orientation internships for young people and adolescents regularly enrolled in a cycle of studies at a university or higher education institutions. This type of internship can only be activated by the Employment Center in the summer period of suspension of school activity and is aimed at facilitating professional choices through the acquisition of experience and skills that can be spent in the job market.

The extracurricular internship is an active policy tool that represents one of the privileged accesses to the job market because it allows you to apply the knowledge acquired during your studies, but also an opportunity to check your own inclinations and attitudes.

In addition, a particularly significant aspect, the tool gives the opportunity to enter a professional, relational, network reality that may be useful for finding a subsequent job opportunity within the hosting company.

Essential elements of the extracurricular internship

To activate an internship, an agreement is required between a promoter (university, high school, employment agency, training center, etc.) and a host organization (company, professional firm, cooperative, public body, etc.), accompanied by from a training plan.

Minimum essential elements characterizing extracurricular internships:

• subjects involved,

• duration,

• activation method,

• mentoring system,

• participation fee,

• final certification expected.

There are three subjects involved in the activation of an extracurricular internship:

• trainee

• promoter

• host entity

Trainees can be:

• subjects in a state of unemployment pursuant to art. 19 of Legislative Decree 150/2015 (including those who have completed upper secondary and tertiary education courses);

• workers benefiting from income support tools while in employment;

• workers at risk of unemployment;

• persons already employed who are looking for other employment;

• disabled and disadvantaged people.

Promoters can be:

• employment services and regional employment agencies;

• state and non-state university education institutions authorized to issue academic and AFAM qualifications;

• state and non-state educational institutions that issue qualifications with legal value;

• foundations of Higher Technical Education (ITS;)

• public centers or centers with public participation for professional training and / or orientation, as well as centers operating under an agreement with the competent Region or Province, or accredited;

• therapeutic communities, auxiliary bodies and social cooperatives as long as they are registered in the specific regional registers, if any;

• job placement services for the disabled managed by public bodies delegated by the Region;

• private training institutions, not for profit, other than those indicated above, on the basis of a specific authorization from the Region;

• subjects authorized for intermediation by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies pursuant to art. 9, paragraph 1, letter h) of the legislative decree n. 150/2015 and subsequent amendments or accredited to employment services pursuant to art. 12 of the same decree;

• ANPAL

Host can be any individual, natural or legal person, of a public or private nature, in good standing with regard to health and safety in the workplace and mandatory hiring.

Activation is not allowed:

• in the case of CIGS (Extraordinary Wage Supplementary Fund) for activities that coincide with those of suspended workers (unless agreed with the trade union);

• for activities equivalent (except for trade union agreement) to those where in the previous 12 months layoffs for justified objective reason (individual), collective dismissal, overcoming of the entailment period, failure to pass the probationary period, dismissals for the end of the contract, termination of the contract apprenticeship at the end of the training period by the will of the employer.

In the case of a multi-localized host (i.e. subjects - including the Public Administration - with operational offices spread over several regions), pursuant to law decree no. 76 of 2013 - converted into law no. 99 of 2013 - the internship may be governed by the legislation of the region or autonomous province where the registered office of the host is located, upon communication to the region or autonomous province in whose territory the internship is carried out. The discipline that the host institution intends to apply must be compulsorily indicated in the Agreement.

Duration of the internship

The maximum duration envisaged by the 2017 national guidelines, including extensions and renewals, is 12 months; in the case of disabled people, it can last up to 24 months.

The minimum duration cannot be less than 2 months.

In details:

The maximum duration:

1) 6 months for training and orientation internships

2) 12 months for work placement / reintegration internships and for orientation and / or work placement / reintegration internships for disadvantaged people

3) 24 months for orientation and / or job placement / reintegration internships for disabled people

4) 3 months for summer internships

The minimum duration:

12 months

2) 1 month for hosts who operate seasonally

The duration must always and in any case be congruent with the training objectives to be achieved.

Suspensions and interruptions

Within the indicated duration limits, the internship periods may be suspended in the event of maternity, accident or illness lasting thirty days or more.

The suspension can occur during the company closing period of at least fifteen calendar days. In both cases, the suspension does not contribute to the calculation of the maximum duration.

The internship can be interrupted by the trainee, who must give reasoned communication to the tutors of the host and the promoter respectively, or by the promoter or host organization in the event of serious non-compliance by one of the parties or the impossibility of achieving the training objectives.

The trainee has the right to a suspension of the traineeship due to maternity or long illness equal to or greater than 30 calendar days, or for periods of company closure - lasting at least 15 calendar days. Furthermore, the internship can be interrupted, as well as by the intern (via written communication), also by the host and the promoter in the event of serious non-compliance by one of the subjects involved or in case of impossibility to achieve the training objectives.

Each promoter cannot activate more than one internship for the same intern with the same or similar training project.

The promoter of the internship and the host subject each appoint a tutor, who will help the intern in drafting the training plan, inserting it into the new context, defining the organizational and teaching conditions, monitoring the training path and certifying the performed activity. The skills and results achieved by the trainee are recorded in the training booklet.

While not constituting an employment relationship, the internships governed by the guidelines are subject to the obligation of mandatory communication by the host organization.

The internship is the realization of a practical experience, in a productive context, for a limited time, which allows knowledge in the world of work and which favors the professional and personal growth of the intern.

Requirements Host entities

We remind you that by host we mean any subject, natural or legal person, of a public or private nature where the internship is carried out.

The host must:

• be in compliance with the legislation on health and safety in the workplace;

• be in compliance with the legislation referred to in Law 68/99;

• not having carried out dismissals, excluding those for just cause and justified subjective reason and without prejudice to specific trade union agreements, in the twelve months preceding the activation of the internship for equivalent activities and in the same operating unit;

• not having benefited from earnings supplementary funds, even by way of derogation, for activities equivalent to those of the internship, in the same production unit.

The activation of internships with professionals qualified or qualified to exercise regulated professions is not possible if it concerns typical activities or activities reserved for the profession. More than one internship can be carried out for the same professional profile but each individual host cannot carry out more internships with the same intern. In relation to the same internship, the same person cannot act as a promoter and as a host.

Conditions for activating the internship

The internship must be carried out in accordance with the training objectives set out in the PFI (Individual Training Plan).

Trainees cannot:

• cover roles or positions belonging to the host organization;

• replace subordinate workers in peak periods of activity;

• replace staff on sick leave, maternity leave or holidays.

The internship cannot be activated in the event that the intern has had an employment relationship, collaboration or professional assignment with the same host in the two years prior to the activation of the internship.

The internship can be activated if the intern has performed ancillary work at the same host for no more than 30 days, even if not consecutive, in the 6 months prior to activation.

Numerical limits - governed by the Sicilian Region - L. R. 9/2013, art. 68

• employer with a number of employees between 0 and 5, for an indefinite and / or fixed term: 2 trainees;

• employer with between 6 and 20 employees, permanent and / or temporary: no more than 4 trainees;

• employer with 21 or more permanent and / or fixed-term employees: trainees not exceeding 20% of the aforementioned employees, rounded up to the nearest unit.

Internships activated in favor of disabled persons pursuant to Law 68/99, disadvantaged pursuant to Law 381/91, asylum seekers and holders of international protection are excluded from these limits.

Procedures for activating internships

The internships are activated by means of an agreement, stipulated between the promoters and the hosts, which indicates the rights and obligations of the parties.

Attached to the Agreement is the Individual Training Plan (PFI), signed by the parties (trainee, promoter and host), which indicates the training objectives, duration, amount of the indemnity, insurance coverage, duties and obligations of the parties, content, methods of development and training objectives of the internship.

In addition, during the internship experience, in order to track its progress and results, the collection of documentary evidence is also envisaged, which converge in another document called the Individual Dossier. Evidence means any documentation useful to prove the actual activity carried out and its results (eg. Product samples of the work; reference letters; minutes of meetings; reports, etc.).

The individual dossier, on the other hand, is a document in which the tutors, in agreement with the trainee, express an assessment of the quality of the experience achieved (using a 5-level scale). The models in use are prepared by Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

The training course must refer to the Repertory of Qualifications of the Sicilian Region. If the training project does not appear consistent with what is found in the aforementioned Directory, it will be possible to refer to the Atlas of work and qualifications. Internships, while not constituting employment relationships, are subject to mandatory communication by the host organization.

Insurance guarantees

The trainee is guaranteed insurance coverage against accidents (INAIL) and civil liability for damages to third parties. The insurance coverage must also include any activities carried out by the trainee outside the host organization and in any case falling within the Individual Training Plan.

The agreement establishes the subject obliged to do so (host subject, promoter or even the Region itself).

Participation allowance

 

For participation in the internship, the intern is paid a monthly allowance of not less than 300 euros gross.

The Regions will be able to implement this allowance.

The allowance is paid in full against a minimum participation in the internship of 70% on a monthly basis.

The participation fee is not due:

• during the suspension period of the internship;

• in the case of internships in favor of suspended workers and in any case recipients of forms of income support as beneficiaries of social safety nets: in this case, the internship allowance is paid for the period coinciding with that of use of income support only up to the minimum allowance provided for by the relevant regional legislation for suspended workers and income support recipients.

In the case of internships in favor of recipients of forms of income support in the absence of an employment relationship, the host subjects are entitled to pay a participation allowance cumulative with the shock absorber received, even beyond the minimum allowance provided for by the regional disciplines.

From a fiscal point of view, the participation allowance is considered to be income similar to that of employment.

Since, however, the internship does not qualify as a work activity, participation in it as well as the receipt of the allowance do not lead to the loss of any unemployment status possibly possessed by the intern.

Duties of the parties

Promoter

It is the promoter who must guarantee the quality of learning in the internship.

In particular, it must:

• facilitate the activation of the internship experience, supporting the host and the intern in the start-up phase and in the management of administrative procedures;

 

• provide prior, clear and transparent information about the discipline applicable to the internship, which the host must comply with;

• identify a tutor for the trainee;

• arrange for the preparation of the PFI, the drafting of the trainee's individual Dossier, as well as the issuance of the final certificate;

• promote the smooth running of the internship experience through oversight and monitoring;

• report to the host organization any non-compliance with the objectives contained in the PFI and the procedures for implementing the internship, as well as to the competent inspection services in cases where there are justified reasons to believe that the intern is used for activities not envisaged by the PFI or in any case carries out activities attributable to an employment relationship;

• contribute to the territorial monitoring of the progress of internships.

Host entity

The tasks of the host organization are:

• stipulate the agreement with the promoter and collaborate with the same in defining the PFI;

• transmit to the promoter the communications made and the communications of extension, interruption and accident;

• designate a tutor to assist the trainee in the workplace, identified among their workers possessing adequate professional skills consistent with the PFI;

• ensure adequate information and training on health and safety in the workplace during the start-up phase of the internship;

• guarantee the trainee, if foreseen, health surveillance;

• make available to the trainee all the equipment, instruments, equipment, etc., suitable and necessary for carrying out the assigned activities;

• ensure the completion of the internship according to the provisions of the PFI;

• actively collaborate in the progressive drafting of the trainee's individual dossier, as well as in the issuance of the final certification.

Trainee

The trainee is obliged to comply with the provisions of the PFI by carrying out the activities agreed with the tutors of the promoter and the host organization.

Tutorship

To accompany the trainee in his / her path, the promoter and host organization identify a tutor, who is entrusted with the following tasks.

Tutor of the promoter:

• elaborates the PFI in collaboration with the host;

• coordinates the organization and plans the internship;

• monitors the progress of the internship to ensure compliance with the provisions of the PFI, with the aim of ensuring satisfaction by the host and the intern;

• arranges for the composition of the individual Dossier, based on the elements provided by the trainee and the host as well as the preparation of the final certification;

• acquires from the trainee elements regarding the results of the experience carried out, with particular reference to a possible continuation of the relationship with the host, where this is different from a public administration.

Each tutor can follow a maximum of 20 trainees at the same time. This limit is not envisaged for promoters who activate internships with the same training purposes at the same host organization.

 

 

Hosting organization’s tutor

He/She/They is responsible for the placement and coaching of the trainee in the workplace, for the entire internship period.

Must have adequate professional experience and skills to ensure the achievement of the internship objectives.

Each host tutor can follow up to 3 trainees at the same time.

These are the functions you must perform:

• facilitate the integration of the trainee;

• promote and support the performance of the activities, including the training courses of the trainee according to the provisions of the PFI, also coordinating with other workers of the host organization;

• update the documentation relating to the internship (registers, etc.) for the entire duration of the internship;

• actively collaborate in the composition of the individual Dossier as well as in the preparation of the final certification.

The tutors appointed respectively by the promoter and the host organization collaborate with each other to:

• define the organizational and educational conditions conducive to learning;

• ensure the monitoring of the progress of the trainee's training course, through ongoing verification methods and at the end of the entire process;

• ensure the process of tracing, documentation and certification of the activity carried out by the trainee.

Final certification

At the end of the course, the trainee, provided that he has participated in at least 70% of the duration provided for by the PFI, will receive a final certificate, which documents the activities carried out and the scope of activity.

 

Supervisory measures, inspections and sanctions

The supervision of the correct management of training internships is the responsibility of the state; the Regions may provide for specific sanctioning rules for the following cases:

For non-remediable violations, in particular in the event that the internship is activated without respecting the conditions and limits provided, with reference to:

• the subjects entitled to promotion and the subjective and objective characteristics required of the internship host;

• the proportion between the host organization's staff and the number of traineeships;

• the maximum duration of the internship;

• the number of internships that can be activated at the same time;

• the number or percentages of recruitment of previously hosted trainees;

• the requested agreement and the related training plan.

In all these cases, the notice of termination of the internship will be provided by the body identified by the Region or Autonomous Province and the interdiction for 12 months, addressed to the promoter and / or the host, from the activation of new internships.

For remediable violations, in particular for cases of non-fulfillment of the tasks required of the promoters and host subjects and their respective tutors or violations of the agreement or training plan, when the residual duration of the internship allows to restore the conditions for obtaining of the established objectives, or of violations of the maximum duration of the internship, when at the time of the assessment the maximum duration established by the regulations is not yet exceeded.

In these cases, the Region will give the offender an invitation for regularization, the execution of which will not lead to penalties. If the invitation is not fulfilled, the termination of the internship will be ordered and the interdiction for 12 months, addressed to the promoter and / or the host, from the activation of new internships.

Should there be a repetition of the violation, within 24 months from the first interdiction, the interdiction will have a duration of 18 months and not 12. In the event of further repetition or greater violation within 24 months from the first interdiction, the ban will last for 24 months.

The prohibition of the activation of new internships is ordered towards the host organization even in the case of requalification of the internship in an employment relationship operated by the supervisory bodies of the National Labor Inspectorate.

Role of the Employment Center

As specified above, the CPI is one of the promoters of internships.

If, on the other hand, the internship is activated by "third party" promoters, the CPI competent for the area always has the burden of carrying out the appropriate checks. Therefore, the CPI must receive from the third party promoter all the documentation relating to the internship in the phase prior to the start date and, following the verifications carried out, immediately notify the lack of reasons impeding activation.

Reference framework

European: Recommendation of the Council of the European Union of 10 March 2014

National: Guidelines on training internships and orientation 2017

Regional:

Regional Council Resolution of 07/19/2017

Regional Directive n. 34205 of 12/09/2017

Regional Directive n. 43318 of 11/22/2017

Regional Directive n. 44432 of 01/12/2017 (additions to Directive 22/11/2017)

Regional Directive n. 24724 of 17/07/2018

Domicile                     Same area           Different area                     Total                               Emigration Rate%

North-West                     591.324                   17.619                        608.943                                         2,9

North-East                     426.996                    20.183                        447.179                                         4,5

Center                           348.503                     21.320                        369.823                                        5,8

South                            342.981                     45.553                        388.534                                        11,7

Islands                          139.235                     14.920                       154.155                                         9,7

Total                            1.849.039                   119.595                    1.968.634                                        6,1

It is therefore not surprising that it is the regions of Northern Italy - in particular the North-West - that constitute the main destination for trainees who carry out their experience in geographical mobility (Table 2.1.8). Almost 64% of the latter, in fact, carry out an internship in northern Italy, with the North West alone collecting 43% of the internships carried out by people domiciled in another territorial area, the regions of the Center receiving almost the 25% of “off-site” trainees and the southern regions and islands which record extremely low percentage values, equal to a total of almost 12%, divided respectively into 7.9% and 3.9%.

Regulatory interventions and progress of extracurricular internships during the health emergency (source ANPAL)

The measures of the Regions during the first lockdown With the Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers of 9 March 202053, the government extended the urgent measures for the containment of the infection from Covid-19 that the DPCM of the previous day to the whole national territory limited to the areas most affected by the virus (Lombardy and various northern provinces). Starting from 10 March, any movement that was not justified by proven work needs, situations of necessity or health reasons was therefore prohibited throughout the national territory. Since the internship does not constitute an employment relationship, these measures implicitly made it impossible for the interns to go to the host organization's premises. In this way, the suspension of existing internships and the blocking of new activations were effectively decreed. Having taken note of the measures decided by the government, the Regions, in the meeting of 11 March of the IX Commission of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces, agreed to proceed with the suspension of extracurricular internships.

Therefore, during the month of March - mostly between 11 and 12 - the regional administrations and autonomous provinces ordered a ban on continuing or activating "face-to-face" internships in their respective territories. However, while some Regions (Calabria, Puglia, Sicily, Valle d'Aosta, Province of Trento) have opted for the tout court block of internships, most have instead granted the possibility of continuing the experiences at a distance, introducing that particular modality. carrying out the internship that some Regions, to differentiate it from smart working, have appropriately called smart training (similar to smart working in form, but different in substance and purpose) 54. The possibility of doing it remotely, which obviously concerned only those internships whose training activities could be carried out remotely, was bound to the respect of certain conditions that allowed to safeguard the nature and educational value of the internship. The introduction of smart training certainly constituted an operation of considerable importance, since it extended to a training measure a method of execution typical of the subordinate employment relationship (and this is precisely the reason why the aforementioned Regions have decided not to foresee it). 53 Decree of the President of the Council of Ministers 9 March 2020, Further implementing provisions of the decree-law 23 February 2020, n. 6, containing urgent measures regarding the containment and management of the epidemiological emergency from COVID-19, applicable throughout the national territory. 54 For an overall picture of the main measures adopted by the Regions during the first lockdown, see paragraph 4.3. 102 If the prevailing line of the Regions was therefore to allow smart training, the timing with which the various administrations decided to authorize the "agile internship" were different: some Regions, in fact, allowed the continuation in smart mode from the very moment in which they ordered the suspension of traineeships in presence (on 11 March in Abruzzo and Friuli Venezia Giulia, on 12 March in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, etc.); others, on the other hand, after having initially established the suspension of all internships, later opened to the possibility of remote internships (on 23 March in Liguria, on 30 March in Lazio, on 3 April in Piedmont and Umbria, etc.).

It should also be emphasized that some Regions have linked the possibility of agile continuation to the source of financing of the internship: Veneto, for example, has only allowed smart training in relation to internships not financed with public resources; similarly, Abruzzo has excluded from the possibility of continuing in smart mode the internships activated under the Youth Guarantee Program; Sardinia, on the other hand, has limited distance training to only publicly funded training. Furthermore, while some regions have granted smart training only in relation to internships already in place, others have also allowed the activation of new internships in agile mode. It is well understood how the various regional provisions that followed one another in the emergency period have outlined a composite and inhomogeneous picture: as we have seen, not all the Regions have admitted smart training and, in cases where agile internship has instead been authorized, this took place according to different timing and criteria. With the end of the first lockdown (May 18, 2020), all the Regions have ordered the resumption of traineeships in presence, allowing both the restart of suspended traineeships and the activation of new traineeships. The Province of Bolzano has been in advance, authorizing on-site internships as early as April 23, as well as Friuli Venezia Giulia and Valle d'Aosta, where the recovery began on May 4. In the other regions, on-the-spot internships are instead spread over the period between 18 and 25 May. Obviously, the possibility of carrying out internships at the host organization was granted exclusively in the sectors for which the restart of the activities was allowed and on condition that the protocols, guidelines and national and regional provisions for the contrast and containment of the diffusion of the COVID-19. Some Regions have also provided that the activation or reactivation of internships was subject to the endorsement by the promoter; others, on the other hand, require the consent of the three parties involved (host, promoter and trainee) as a condition; still others (Abruzzo, Calabria55, Lombardy, Marche, Molise, Tuscany, Umbria) have instead established, as a condition for carrying out the internships in person, that the promoter acquires from the host organization suitable documentation certifying the existence of the requisites required. Some Regions have also explicitly allowed the possibility to carry out the internship in blended mode, that is, partly in presence and partly remotely. The remote internship, unthinkable before the pandemic, probably represented the only possible response to the need to cope with an unprecedented emergency condition. However, the emergency situation did not give the regional administrations the time necessary to define the criteria and conditions for implementing smart training in a structured and systematic way. In this sense, the indications of the Regions were necessarily generic and aimed at guaranteeing only the existence of the essential elements of the internship, such as tutorship and the monitoring and tracking of the activities carried out.

All the internships that could not be carried out remotely were interrupted or were suspended to be then reactivated at the end of the lockdown, which led, for many young people, not only to the suspension or interruption of a training and professional growth, but also the failure to receive the participation allowance.

The effects of the pandemic

In line with the trends that have characterized the dynamics of employment, the data that refer to the trend of extra-curricular internships also highlight the consequences of the health crisis and the consequent interventions carried out by the Government and the individual regional administrations72 to contain the effects of Covid. -19. Reasoning in terms of the handling of Mandatory Communications, in fact, we can observe the significant differences that have arisen compared to the previous year 2019, both in terms of new activations and in terms of terminations and interruptions of the internship activity. In the analysis, we have chosen to use three dates as temporal references which are particularly significant from the point of view of the impact on all dimensions connected with the dynamics of work as well as, more generally, on the life of the country. Four distinct periods are thus defined: the first (from January 1st to March 8th), preceding the spread of the health crisis on a national scale; the second connected with the more restrictive measures adopted by the Government (until May 3 with the inauguration of the so-called Phase 2); the third leading up to June 10, on the eve of the first "summer reopenings"; the fourth which includes the last part of the year, although, as is known, these 6 months were still characterized by restrictive measures of different levels.

Crescere in Digitale

Crescere in Digitale is a project, pertaining to the world of active policies and specifically - but not exclusively - in favor of Italian NEETs, which is part of the Youth Guarantee program. Crescere in Digitale is promoted by Unioncamere, by ANPAL (National Agency for Active Labor Policies, dependent on the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies) and by Google. This project is funded through the resources allocated to the Youth Employment Initiative Program. What is “Crescere in Digitale?”

It is a composite path of training, self-training and internship in the field of literacy and the acquisition of digital skills, aimed at stimulating the employability of young NEET adults in Italy. It is also, indirectly, a tool for businesses: to acquire new recruits in training and to orient themselves towards digitization and above all the world of the internet.

Crescere in Digitale is an example of best practice in the field of Active Policies, Youth Employability and Digitization. The showcase of Crescere in Digitale underlines the fact that as many as 3,000 young people, starting from the activation of the program, have found work through the educational and professional paths promoted. There is also a highly motivational section dedicated to real "Success Stories": resources in training who have become essential work units within the companies where they have carried out their internship.

What is special about Growing Digital?

The fact that it is a composite path: Growing in Digital gives first of all the possibility to participate in an online training course lasting about 50 hours, including a final test and release of a specific certification. These courses are promoted and produced directly by Google, they are also easy to use and entirely free.

Subsequently, Crescere in Digitale gives young people the opportunity - following the first test - to participate in training workshops, managed locally. These workshops are both individual and group and take place in agreement with the companies participating in the program: the workshop is therefore the first contact action between new resources in training and the world of work. The laboratory therefore also has a selective function: companies will be able to select candidates deemed most i

The first part of the project consists of a course of over 50 hours at the end of which there is a test, both offered free of charge by Google and available online for all young members of the Youth Guarantee. After passing the test, the young people who have the requisites will be invited to participate in active policy measures such as training workshops on the territory (group and individual) where they will be able to get in touch with the world of suitable registered companies and at the same time invited. If selected, young people will be able to access extra-curricular internships (measure 5) promoted by the subjects of the Chamber System and fully funded through the Youth Guarantee.

What are the requirements? What skills are needed?

Crescere in Digitale is a program that accompanies young adults - specifically NEETs - along a path of acquisition of relevant skills in the Digital sector. This means that the beneficiary does not need to have special requirements: the first courses offered by the program focus on Digital and Literacy.

Another feature of Crescere in Digitale is the progressive dimension: the courses, above all the initial and online ones, are structured organically and in well-designed units. The courses are therefore extremely suitable for beginners without particular sector skills.

The peculiarity and effectiveness of Crescere in Digitale lies in its double nature: it is a training program - both basic and sectorial -, but it is also an active policy: an accompaniment towards laboratory and internship activities (although depending on the availability of companies belonging to the Program network) which adopts the Youth Guarantee guidelines.

What must a NEET do to become part of Crescere in Digitale?

1) Register first of the Youth Guarantee, the European plan that promotes youth employment, employability and skills for unemployed people under 30 (35, in the case of Southern Italy), who do not attend any school and / or training course. Youth Guarantee is a great tool that has long favored integration, acquisition of skills and individual growth.

2) Enroll in Crescere in Digitale, first of all undertaking the training and self-training course promoted by the Program

3) Take the final test, which will release the certification

4) Participate in the workshops and hopefully in the internships promoted by the companies that are part of the Crescere in Digitale network.

At the same time, the Crescere in Digitale program deals with:

1) Compile comprehensive reports, which give an overview of a) young adults involved, participating companies, employment rate and employability

2) Monitor the status of NEETs for Youth Guarantee

3) Compile rankings and other material, freely available, regarding the effectiveness of Growing Digital and this specific Active Policy

If the results are satisfactory, the beneficiary will be summoned first of all to participate in the appropriate workshops, in synergy with numerous company staff. Later, after an interview, it will be possible to undertake a first work experience (internship) at a host company, adhering to the Program.

And for companies?

Many companies, small, medium and large, already adhere to Crescere in Digitale. The requirements to be part of the Company Network are indicated by the Youth Guarantee guidelines (freelancers, individual companies, trade associations, small and medium-sized enterprises etc. can access, except for public bodies).

Companies will not only be able to interface with new recruits in training, but also receive considerable visibility. The companies undertake to adhere to the regional guidelines for internships: minimum 20 hours per week, maximum 40 hours; identification of a company tutor.