Dec. 6 – From 2007 to 2012, 33.200 young Italians did an internship abroad through the European program Leonardo da Vinci and in particular under the ‘Transnational mobility” section. This was revealed by ISFOL, on behalf of the Ministries of Labor and Education, University and Research, acting as National Agency for the Leonardo program. Transnational mobility has been granted particular attention overall, and specifically in the joint program between Italy and Germany for the employment of young people, presented at the launch conference held in Naples on Nov. 12-13. The agreement applies in particular to the German dual system of training and apprenticeship, and recognizes transnational mobility, for the purpose of training and working, as a useful tool for the employment of young people. The internships funded under the Leonardo da Vinci program fit fully in this process. The youth projects funded in the aforementioned period were 487; of which 217 were dedicated to students placed in vocational education and training, and 270 focused on persons available on the labor market (in most cases unemployed young people, unemployed graduates seeking their first job). The total European Community funding for the Leonardo Program amounts to more than €90 million. Results wise, internships abroad are an opportunity to increase your skills, foster a sense of initiative and entrepreneurship, as well as the ability to communicate in different contexts and environments. Moreover, they are also an opportunity for integration into the labor market. It isn’t rare, in fact, that participants receive at the end of their internship job offers from the hosting foreign companies. Overall, it seems that about two years after the conclusion of the program, almost half of the participants is hired, with a prevalence of full-time contracts (79%).
