Author: Future Manager Research Center

The WMF 2019 Report shows us an interesting article about a project called digITALIA.

Italy’s economy has a global importance as it is the second largest industrial nation in Europe. Due to this and the fact that there is a bilateral cooperation between Germany and Italy in the field of Vocational Education and Training the German- Italian Chamber of Commerce launched the two- year project digItalia in November 2018, which is co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and research.

The project was based on a previous research conducted on 120 italian companies aiming at the understanding of their needs in terms of competences. Indeed, the results showed that there is an existing skill gap within the Italian manufacturing companies.

digITALIA focuses on the skills development in the manufacturing industry and aims at fillin in the gap by creating new competency profiles. It will cover, not only technical know-how, but will combine it with interdisciplinary and soft skills required by the Industry 4.0. Skills required as problem solving, creative thinking and client – oriented approach which are currently difficult to find in the labour market, from this the need for further education and training.

Hence, following a close dialogue between industry and educational institutions such as higher professional schools (ITS), a new qualification landscape was established within digITALIA, a landscape based on the German dual VET system and perfectly aligned with the needs of Italy’s Industry and economic structure. Within this programme participants acquire both hard and soft skills via a practice-oriented approach and across all business units.

The first upskilling modules will start in October 2019 in cooperation with the Bosch Group. Dual vocational training courses on “Mechatronics IoT” in cooperation with  ITS (Istituti Tecnici Superiori) are planned to be simultaneously launched in several Italian regions by the end of 2019.

Overall, the professional qualifications issued at the end of the courses will create a national qualitative standard of dual vocational education in Italy. In the final phases of the project, transferability to other professional profiles and countries will also be examined.

digITALIA pursues the goal of providing useful insights and recommendations for action with respect to other international training concepts synchronised by the industry, in order to successfully promote education and skills development and thus help to establish societal well-being.