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This country report is part of the study 'Policy developments and practices of apprenticeships in selected EU Member States and world competing regions' carried out in five EU (Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland and Italy) and two non-EU countries (Australia and the USA). This study is conducted in the frame of the Pilot Project 'The Future of Manufacturing', proposed by the European Parliament and delegated to Eurofound by the European Commission (Directorate- General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs). One of the objectives of this study is to provide an analytical overview of apprenticeship systems in the selected countries and to review changes to the current systems following labour market shifts, changes in employment, career and mobility patterns and technological and structural change. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of new technologies and the need for a high skilled and adaptable workforce in manufacturing and advanced manufacturing. This research is carried out in response to the increasing interest in apprenticeships among policy makers to tackle skills mismatches but also to integrate young people into the labour market. The appeal of apprenticeships is also growing particularly in a context where new technologies are transforming work organisation and production processes across all sectors, particularly manufacturing. The findings from this research will feed the policy discussions around the role of apprenticeships for the future of manufacturing and inform policy making in the context of current or planned reform of apprenticeship systems and the necessary links to be established between education/training and industrial policies.

As there is no official definition for advanced manufacturing in Italy, this report only refers to most relevant advanced manufacturing technologies in the Italian industrial context. The emphasis in regional policies for research and innovation (under the national Smart Specialisation Strategy) is generally on advanced production processes, mechatronics for advanced production systems, forecasting methods, modelling and simulation, ICT, sustainable production technologies and advanced materials.

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