In addition to employment and self-employment there is the possibility of living training experiences within companies. The main ones are the internship and the apprenticeship.
A traineeship is a purely formative experience in the workplace that does not constitute a working relationship. Traineeships take place in all EU countries although there is no shared definition. Unifying features of the different forms of traineeships are:
- the preponderance of the training component;
- the practical element of learning-on-the-job;
- the temporary nature.
The aim of traineeships is to facilitate the transition to work education by providing practical experience and knowledge suitable for completing theoretical education.
Two forms of training:
- internship. It is a period of internship in the company inserted within a “training-professional” path, It is mandatory to complete a course of university or school education already started;
- extra-curricular internship. These are placement/reintegration paths that are accessed without age limits. It is aimed at persons without employment (or with special disadvantages (e.g. disabled, asylum seekers, etc.). Unlike the curricular internship, The extracurricular internship provides for a minimum mandatory remuneration, established at regional level, which can be increased according to the will of the Organization/ Company.
To activate an internship, an agreement is required between a promoter (university, high school, employment agency, brokerage agencies, etc.) and a host (company, professional study, cooperative, public body, etc.)accompanied by a training plan.
The apprenticeship is a fixed-term employment contract of a minimum duration of 6 months, aimed at the employment of young people at the first job placement. Its main feature is its educational content. There are three types of apprenticeship:
- apprenticeship for vocational qualification and diploma, upper secondary education diploma and certificate of higher technical specialization (for young people between 15 and 25 years) allows the achievement of vocational qualification and may not exceed 3 years of duration;
- vocational apprenticeship or employment contract (18-29 years) may not exceed 3 years;
- apprenticeship for Higher Education and Research (18-29 years) enables research and practical activities to be carried out and is of varying duration in relation to the degree to be obtained.
At the end of the apprenticeship period the employer is free to withdraw from the contract, Alternatively he moves to contract indefinitely.
