The role of public policies in worker training in Italy

The training received by workers depends predominantly on the organisational choices and funds allocated by businesses. It is therefore justifiable to ask whether public policies should either endorse the spontaneous distribution of training or take measures to correct it. This paper analyses the motivations and limitations of public intervention, focusing on the Italian case in which, in recent years, the system has changed radically as a result of opportunities offered to social partners to directly administer the financial resources available for continuous training. The paper argues that the policy instruments in Italy are not capable of providing a clear response to the need for the two forms of continuous training –collective and individual. Therefore, the paper proposes that a part of the funds be admnistrated by the social partners specifically to promote collective training, leaving the public administration with the task of responding primarily to the demands expressed by individuals.