1. SWORD (School and WOrk-Related Dual learning)
The SWORD project: key points for a Dual System: Trentino’s state of the art
Hamburg meeting
Autonomous Province of Trento
Hamburg, May 18-20, 2015
PROVINCIA AUTONOMA DI TRENTO

2. VOCATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL TRAINING IN TRENTINO (Key Point n.1)
Vocational and Educational Training represents an important part of the offer of the upper secondary level (i.e. from the ninth grade on) in Trentino.
It covers 23% of the offer and is chosen by over 24% of students completing lower secondary level (i.e. completing the eighth grade).
VET in Trentino is school-based, i.e. it has got an identity of its own and occupies a place of strategic importance for the socio-economical development of the territory. Recognized occupational profiles and the offer of educational tracks are strongly connected to the production supply chain and to labour market demand.
Recently has been started a programme of apprenticeship (VET in “real form”) for the eleventh and the twelfth grade.

3. EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING MODELS IN DUAL FORM IN TRENTINO (Key Point n
EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING MODELS IN DUAL FORM IN TRENTINO (Key Point n.1) part 1
Regarding the school-based VET, at the moment learning models in dual form are :
Internships and curricular traineeships in the eleventh grade(which amount to at least120 hours of in-company training).
Curricular traineeships in the twelfth grade of the VET (at least 35% and up to 50% of the on-the-job training and educational equivalence between lessons at school and in company training).
Summer traineeships carried out by educational and vocational institutions.
It is under way the start of an alternance path in grammar schools and in technical schools. 3

4. EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING MODELS IN DUAL FORM IN TRENTINO (Key Point n
EXPERIENCES OF LEARNING MODELS IN DUAL FORM IN TRENTINO (Key Point n.1) part 2
In the Province of Trento a real Dual System model takes place only in some recent experiences.
The current form of this model – which is a work-based form - is:
360 hours of the learning time at school ;
100 hours of the learning time as in-company training (on-the-job training);
The rest of the time is at company premises as work experience. 4

5. COSTS AND BENEFITS (Key Point n.2)
VET in school-based form (actual and measured effects)
Advantages
Development of soft skills
Better career guidance
High employment rate
Good employment coherence with students’ courses of study
Collaboration between company and school tutors with consequent better mutual knowledge
Disadvantages
More costs for insurance contributions
More costs due to co-financing summer traineeships costs
More costs for teachers’ working-time 5

6. COSTS AND BENEFITS (Key Point n.2)
VET in real dual form (foreseen and desirable effects)
Advantages
Better use of teaching resources (human and technical ones)
Reduced dropout rate
Reduced time lapse for the school to labour market transition
Reduced unemployment benefits
Collaboration between company and school tutors with consequent better mutual knowledge
Disadvantages
More costs for the community due to
Insurance contributions
Reduced income from companies taxes
Extra costs for training at school 6

7. PARTNERSHIP VALUE (Key Point n.3)
The governance of the system in order to implement a dual model – as already said mainly school-based – is based on strong partnerships with:
The Educational Department structure of the Province, which establishes directions and guidelines for the activation of the educational pathways by education and training institutions;
A consultation body (CPI) composed by employers’ associations and significant companies of the different sectors, and social partners, collaborating in the planning and implementing of the educational pathways;
The Employment Agency and employment and intermediation services, which are involved to promote forms of labour market integration, in addition to “Youth Guarantee”
Employer associations, according to standard practice but with no rule-based reference 7

8. THE CAPACITY TO CREATE A SOLID BASIS FOR SHARED AND COMMON DECISIONS AND DESIGN (Key Point n.4)
The planning of training projects is up to the educational and vocational institutions which implement it together with the company (and particularly with the company tutor) with reference to regulations of PAT.
The educational or vocational institutions are in charge of the valuation of learning outcomes and of acknowledging credit points, because they issue the final certificate.
Recognized occupational profiles and corresponding certificates are the same in school-based VET system and in real dual system.
The research of a training company is carried out both by students and by schools. 8

9. ASSESSMENT OF THE SUCCESS FACTORS (Key point n.5)
VET in school-based form (actual and measured effects)
Advantages
It is a successful system and has a reputation of its own
It permits to achieve a qualification strongly requested by the labour market
It implies a shorter time lapse to labour market integration
It implies a strong presence of school-work alternance experiences (e.g. traineeships)
It brings about a decrease in unemployment
Disadvantages
It implies a tendency to stay longer in the school system
It presents a great rate of repeated years and of dropouts
Dropouts have more problems in entering the labour market
It implies a greater cost for the society as a whole 9

10. ASSESSMENT OF THE SUCCESS FACTORS (Key point n.5)
VET in real form (foreseen and desirable effects)
Advantages
Decreased dropouts and NEETs rate
Chance for a new hope for the more fragile elements of VET School System
Decreased of youth unemployment
Reduced work-related costs for companies
Young people have the opportunity of achieving a graduation
Educational costs are shared between schools and companies
Disadvantages
Necessary to introduce teachers and company tutors to a job-oriented culture
A new cultural model, more focused on work experiences
Not yet a real alternative for the full-time educational pathway
Strong dependent on the cyclical economy phases
Stronger request of short-term and flexible contracts, not in line with the multiannual duration of the training
Difficulties to find companies prepared to alternance 10

11. Thank you for your attention !
LAST REMARK
Trentino’s autonomy permits to define tax incentives, fair compensation for training, tax reductions for companies.
In few words: there are all the conditions to develop the real dual system.
Thank you for your attention ! 11