The Italian Education System Industrial Technical Education and Vocational Training

1. The ItalianEducation SystemIndustrial Technical Education and Vocational Training • Ms Lara Crippa • English Teacher at Istituto Salesiano San Marco

2. The Italian school system provides a wide choice of educational offers. In the last five years the system has been heavily modified in the educational, methodological and organizational aspects. In constant dialogue with the other European countries, the attempt has been to reach a shared education and training system.

4. After the first cycle of education, the Italian student can choose between: five-years path (which includes High Schools and Industrial Technical Institutes) or the three-years course (the Vocational Training)

5. Italian students fulfill compulsory education at 16 and training requirement at 18, with the option to choose which path of education and training is more suited to their skills, personal abilities and future projects.

7. Unlike High Schools, Technical Institutes and Vocational Training Centers aim to a diploma of higher education which can ensure the access to University or to Higher Technical Education or to employment.

8. The identity of the Technical Institutes is characterized by a strong scientific and technological cultural basis in line with the European guidelines. This identity is expressed by a limited number of wide “addresses” that relate to key areas of the economic and productive development of the country (Administration, Finance and Marketing, Tourism, Mechanical, Mechatronics and Energy, Transportation, Electronics, Information and Communication Technology, Design and Communication, Chemistry, Materials and Biotechnology, Fashion System, Agribusiness, Environment and Territory).

9. The courses of the Technical Institutes are articulated into two areas: general education and address field, for a comprehensive five-year path.

10. The general education reinforces the compulsory education, through the development of the axis of language, mathematics, science-technology and social-history.

11. The address area aims to give theoretical knowledge and application expendable in various contexts of life, together with cognitive skills which enable to solve problems.

12. The identity of the Vocational Training Centers is characterized by the integration of a solid general education with the professional culture. It takes three years and is divided into 21 “specificities” (e.g. footwear, chemical products and clothing operator; building, mechanical and graphic operator; electrical systems, administrative and food-processing expert).

13. The address area, together with the general area, provides the student with the necessary skills expendable in the various work and life contexts, giving the ability to take autonomous responsibility during the production processes and services.

14. Specifically, the training offered by the Salesian Institute San Marco is divided into two paths: the Industrial Technical Institute for the graphic arts and communication (ITI) and the Vocational Training Centre (CFP) that offers four types of courses: graphics, with the two options of press and prepress operator, mechanics and electrotechnics.

15. The course at ITI San Marco spreads over five years and is divided into two years of general education and three years of address area. At the end of the training in graphic arts and communication the student has acquired the following capabilities: Design and manufacture communication products delivered through different channels, choosing tools and materials in relation to contexts of use and production techniques Use dedicated computer packages Design and manage the graphics and multimedia communication Design, create and publish contents on the web Manage projects and processes in accordance to the procedures and standards set by the quality and safety management of the corporate systems Analyze and monitor the needs of the reference market Teamwork

16. The course at CFP San Marco, graphics address, spread over three years and ends with the attainment of the professional qualification in Press Operator or Prepress Operator. Besides entering the job world, students can move to the channel of technical education and complete their training with the five-year diploma and access to higher education.

17. At the end of the training the press and prepress operator has acquired the following capabilities: Use graphics programs for drawing, design and layout Evaluate the photographic quality of reproductions, to perform color correctionsPreparing the printing machine to perform the printing and ensure their quality by computerized equipmentWorking within the finishing for the main processes of binding and postpress

18. The education and training at the Salesian Institute San Marco is enriched with the organization and implementation of activities of excellence that involve the students, the school and the local companies: Companies come to school’ through meetings with corporate experts Technical visits Internship School-work alternance Extension courses Workshop Cultural exchanges

19. In 2008 was born the three-year degree course in Sciences and Techniques of Graphic Communication. The two profiles created at the end of this university course are: advertising and graphic Communication and institutional and corporate Communication.

20. In 2010 is born the master-degree in Graphic design and strategic communication. The course, lasting two years, completes the first-level degree program.

21. The charisma that supports and guides all educational choices proposed by the San Marco institute is that of Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation: to aim on the formation of the whole person, to create “honest citizens and good Christians”, in the belief that the time invested to educate and bring up young people is never lost time!

22. The charisma that supports and guides all educational choices proposed by the San Marco institute is that of Saint John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation: to aim on the formation of the whole person, to create “honest citizens and good Christians”, in the belief that the time invested to educate and bring up young people is never lost time!

23. Thank you!