Page 33 - Investing in Bergamo EN

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TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

There are currently 11,500 young people who can potentially enter the labour
market with a professional qualification, high-school diploma, university degree or
higher. Entries are equal to exits with an activity rate of 66%, which is the same as
before the crisis. In the future, Bergamo can have a balanced labour market capable of
reaching an optimal allocation of resources i.e. educational choices tailored to the job
offer, and training and education aimed at improving employability skills.
Enrolments in the 64 upper secondary schools (with 91 campuses) mainly consist of
technical institutes followed by vocational schools in a measure consistent with the
needs of the market. A systematic activity of orientation has allowed rebalancing, for
secondary schools, a major disadvantage in technical-scientific studies.
Along with innovation and internationalisation, technical-scientific training is the third
driver of Confindustria Bergamo. For some years, the fundamental aim of the activity
has been to create a wide-ranging project of alternance between school and work. In
2014, over 8,500 high-school students were involved in work placements of which
7,000 enrolled in technical and vocational schools. The medium-term goal is to be
able to involve all students in all orientations and extend the duration of the company
experience. The project does not only want to bring young people closer to the labour
market and widen the choice of technical and scientific subjects, but also wants to bring
them closer to businesses and entrepreneurship and, ultimately, to spread the culture
of industry.
Confindustria has endorsed two 2-year post-diploma initiatives (Higher Technical
Institutes – mechatronics and chemistry: new technologies for life) and two annual
initiatives (mechanics). Other initiatives are proposed for Higher Technical Schools:
marketing and internationalisation, rubber and plastic materials, and Higher
Technical Institutes for mobility. The main characteristics of these courses, where
classes average 25 students, are that they are also taught by company technicians, and
that they focus on integration between the laboratory and production departments, and
school-work alternance. The market has so far absorbed all of the formats; moreover,
excellent employment results are achieved by all the technical schools (more than 80%
of graduates find a job within one year of graduation).
Three orientation initiatives are dedicated to younger people: the first educational
initiative is the PMI Day, the other two are associated with competitions dedicated to
schools: Io e lode, Industriamoci, Management Game, La tua Idea di Impresa and Junior
Achievement, which reward the ideas and ability to execute of students and classes.
The province has numerous training initiatives funded by the private sector.
Confindustria Bergamo founded the “Forma” foundation (Corporate Training Systems)
that creates workshops (30%) and business courses (70%). The latter are funded
through “professional funds”, i.e. mandatory provisions for companies and workers (in
Bergamo, 3,500 companies with 140,000 employees). In 2014, it provided business
and supply-chain training activities costing 7.5 million euros to about 20,000
workers in 500 industries.