Conference Program

The Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTOs) are the result of a specific training program introduced by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), aimed at enriching the educational process of secondary school students. Joining PCTOs can help to develop awareness of one's own skills, including design competences, especially in view of future training and/or professional processes and scenarios.

In this context, tutors and headmasters play a particularly important role as they are actively involved in the design and implementation of projects. In fact, in principle, each project is defined and structured by all the stakeholders involved, according to a logic of co-design. On the other hand, each school has the opportunity to configure PCTOs ad hoc, both according to its own resources (human, technological, skills, etc.) and the specific territorial/socio-cultural fabric.

Based on these premises, a complex dataset was designed and constructed, corresponding to an integrated multi-stakeholder matrix, which collects and intersects data from three surveys - respectively addressed to: students (No. 4,045), tutors (No. 264) and headmasters (No. 73) (a.y. 2021/2022) - and from content analysis as a survey applied to projects uploaded by a sample of Italian schools (No. 251 projects from 78 institutions).

The goal of this paper is to trace, taking a micro-macro analysis perspective, the most prevalent governance styles and the main trajectories undertaken by Italian schools in implementing policy.

First, studying the different configurations that PCTOs have taken in the selected schools and tracing common traits and/or specificity-gaps with respect to the territorial context and the school chain (territorial-curricular framing) constitute the main intents.

Furthermore, focusing on students and the degree of consistency between school design and policy directions, other objectives are: 1. to study the mechanisms of adherence to and evaluation of the PCTOs experience by girls and boys (induced participation vs. open and autonomous participation; design more or less centered on student needs); 2. to estimate the effect of participation on variables related to individual self-perceptions, expectations and aspirations.

The multilevel and multistakeholder model of analysis offers both the opportunity to reconstruct dense relationships among variables and to identify forms of vulnerability and inequality in the school context, for an explanatory reading of them, combining different levels of analysis.

This articulated research instrumentation is also fruitfully usable in other complex fields of study within which it is crucial to recognize forms of inequality and social exclusion, as well as to counter them.

In many European countries, recent reforms of education systems have been driven by the lifelong learning approach, which aims to provide training and guidance to young people and to strengthen the interaction between formal and non-formal learning environments (Parreira do Amaral et al., 2020). This direction is particularly relevant for Italy, where a high mismatch of skills (Pompei and Selezneva, 2017), strong labor market flexibility (Barbieri and Cutili, 2021), and a rigid and sequential education system (Pastore, 2019) negatively affect young people in the transition from higher to tertiary education and the labor market. School-to-Work Alternance programmes (SWA, nowadays called PTSO), have been introduced in Italy, to provide students with educational and vocational guidance, offer work-based learning experiences and promote young people's deeper engagement in the educational process (European Commission, 2013).

In Italy, SWA has been studied mainly to explore orientation and school-to-work transition issues (e.g. Pastore and Zimmermann, 2019), to compare European vocational training models (e.g. Ballarino, 2014), and to investigate the impact of the policy on students and the educational system, looking at specific schools and contexts (e.g. Pinna and Pitzalis, 2020). The worth of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it focuses on the less explored experience of external tutors; on the other hand, it refers to the entire national context. Our research examines what factors influence the (in)effectiveness of the policy from the external tutors’ point of view. The results of this contribution come from a broader research on School-Work Alternation in Italy, conducted from 2019 to 2023. A mixed methods approach was used. Firstly, an explorative phase with 12 key informants was conducted. After, a longitudinal e-mail survey involved the tutors of the host organizations from a representative sample of 78 Italian schools. Furthermore, 15 in-depth qualitative interviews with the external tutors who participated in the first wave were conducted.

Although the results show a general satisfaction of the external tutors with PTSO, some criticisms and negative effects of its implementation emerge. Firstly, according to the PTSO guidelines, the majority of tutors state that they join PTSOs to provide training opportunities for young people and to strengthen relationships with schools. However, there is evidence of poor collaboration between internal (from school) and external tutors, particularly in the design phase of PTSO projects. The lack of cooperation is more pronounced when the students belong to vocational schools, while higher levels of cooperation are registered when students from other types of school are hosted. Furthermore, the external tutors highlight some organizational criticalities, such as the lack of support from the schools, the difficulty of finding staff available to supervise students and, in the case of projects aimed at vocational schools, the lack of willingness of students to participate in the projects. These findings have implications for policy effectiveness. Indeed, the limitations identified affect the ability of PTSOs to encourage the development of integrated, multi-site learning models and greater synergy between schools and the world outside.

In recent years, the policy interventions approved for Italian education/training system, and in particular for the vocational training, have had the purpose of increasing the attractiveness of vocational paths by raising the amount of young people with skills and qualifications that are requested by the local enterprise needs; on the other side, the purpose to reduce both skill gap phenomena and skill shortage problems. The process of reorganization and strengthening of VET system was characterized by some reforms regarding apprenticeships (D.Lgs 81/2015), the experimentation of the dual pathways (Accordo Stato-Regioni, 09/2015), the revision of the professional education (D.Lgs 61/2017). Furthermore, the investments for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR - Mission 5 - Component 1 - Investment 1.4 " Dual pathways " - 2021), which have allocated a large amount of funds to the dual pathways, and the process of technical education reform, for the establishment of the technological and professional system.

In this framework, the experimentation of the dual pathways represents one of the strengths adopted by italian governement. The "dual system", already successfully applied in some European countries, is a work based learning method, with some training moments at school and some practical training on the job, in working contexts, to guarantee a better matching between training courses and business needs. In Italy, the dual pathways started in 2016, within the VET courses, with the goal of increasing the hours dedicated to practical activities in working contexts, allowing young people aged 14 -18 to obtain professional certifications. These paths develop the skills required by the labour market and reduce distance between training and professional experience. This learning model is carried out through:

• strengthened alternation;

• simulated company;

• apprenticeship

Last year, in Italy, over 50 thousand students have been involved in these training courses, that are increasing compared to ordinary VET courses, due to the fact that they guarantee a better connection to the labor market needs.

The main focus of this panel is to emphasize the qualitative and quantitative framework of this segment of initial training, through the analysis of the dual-modality paths activated in Italy from the first experimentation to the last year. In particular, describing some characteristics of the participation in the courses and the educational outcomes of the students.

Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PTSOs) are of fundamental relevance within the educational and social context, as they represent a critical juncture that shapes the future trajectories of young people (Costa, 2016). While PTSOs are considered as potential tools for reducing social inequalities, ensuring equity, and improving skills, recent studies reveal a prevalently weak integration between school and labour market within these programs (Pinna and Pitzalis, 2021). These issues appear to be linked to the skills mismatch between school learning and labour market needs (Palumbo and Pandolfini, 2019; Valiente and Capsada-Munsech, 2021). According to the latest ‘Education at a glance’ report (OECD, 2023), Italy is among the five countries where more than one in five VET graduates is NEET, indicating that VET pathways in Italy face significant challenges in facilitating the transition of students into the labour market. Furthermore, in the Italian context, school-to-work transitions have to deal both with the plurality of actors involved in their design and implementation and with the different territorial configurations within the country (Cefalo et al., 2024), highlighting the need for effective governance. This paper aims to discuss the results of an empirical analysis on multilevel governance of PTSOs, including qualitative interviews involving more than 50 key informants from upper secondary schools and public institutions operating at the national, regional, and local levels. The aim is to investigate whether the PCTO policy is a political tool for securing a synchronization between individuals’ professional and educational trajectories, on the one hand, and the changing needs of the labour market and the economy, on the other. Moreover, this study delves into the correlations between PCTOs activities and the school curriculum, aiming to investigate whether PCTOs facilitate students’ aspirations and career orientations, improving their professional vocations, interests, learning styles, social and occupational competencies. As a matter of fact, PCTOs are the litmus test of the systemic or sporadic relationships between the educational system and the labour market. In instances where governance is lacking, it can be assumed that the relationships between these two systems are weak too, with negative effects also on PCTOs orientation function. The governance patterns are examined to discuss the ways and the extent to which contextual conditions, institutional settings, and opportunity structures (Roberts, 2009) contribute to framing the configuration of possibilities and constraints within which young people unfold their life paths (Pandolfini et al., 2022). Thus, we conceive educational settings as the broader framing of education, which includes the out-of-school environment, neighborhoods, and institutional arrangements, as well as the agendas of the multilateral and corporate world (Freytag et al., 2021). The paper highlighted the multifaceted panorama of PTSO governance dynamics, shedding light on the objectives, roles, activities, coordination arrangements, pointing out organizational and implementation strategies. The analysis reveals the complexity of PTSOs, emphasizing the need for effective governance structures to bridge the gap between educational pathways and the demands of the labour market, promoting a fair distribution of opportunities that ensures social justice in educational policies.

The PCTO guidelines by the Italian Ministry of Education (2019) stress the importance of cross-disciplinary and technical-professional skills for students' holistic development. These skills, crucial in educational planning, foster self-reflection, effective time management, constructive collaboration, and guide career paths. Research underscores self-efficacy's role in career decisions (Lent, Brown, & Larkin, 1987), emphasizing secure teacher-student relationships in shaping adolescent identity. In School-to-Work Programs (SWP), both educational and company tutors ensure students' success, emphasizing collaborative action design (Poliandri, 2023). Influenced by constraints and social opportunities, the School-to-Work Transition in Italy highlights regional disparities (Pastore et al., 2021), raising questions about equal opportunities for students in SWPs provided by the school.

The aim of this study is to understand the role that perceived availability and support from both the educational tutor of SWP (in Italy, PCTO - Paths for Transversal Skills and Orientation) and the company tutor play in supporting an increase in students' self-efficacy, both academically (measured in terms of, e.g., organization, satisfaction, goal achievement) (Pastorelli & Piconi, 2001) and, prospectively, in the workplace (in terms of commitment, e.g., learning new ways of working, respecting deadlines, focusing one's energies) (Farnese et al., 2007). A cohort of 3,177 Italian high school students (1,404 males, 44.2%; 1,773 females, 55.8%) participated, completing two waves of self-administered questionnaires via Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI), before and after their SWP experience.

To assess the relationship model among these variables, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) (Kline, 2011; Marcoulides & Schumacker, 2001; Raykov & Marcoulides, 2000) was employed, offering an advanced methodological approach for exploring the interactions between latent and observed variables. This approach allowed for a nuanced understanding of the relationships among latent variables, presenting a comprehensive view of the dynamics at play.

The analysis highlighted the significant role of educational tutors in enhancing students' self-efficacy. Support from tutors, evaluated through their readiness to address requests, discuss skills acquired, and solve problems beyond scheduled meetings, directly influenced students' academic self-efficacy. Moreover, this support helped students recognize the utility of their SWP experiences, such as discovering new social connections or testing personal abilities, thereby strengthening their self-efficacy (p-value = 0.000; CFI = 0.90; RMSEA = 0.05; SRMR = 0,04). Company tutors similarly impacted students, both directly, by influencing their prospective workplace self-efficacy related to work engagement skills, and indirectly, by enhancing awareness of the SWP's relevance to their individual career paths (p-value = 0,000; CFI = 0,97; RMSEA = 0,03; SRMR =0,03). To assess the effects of various SWP types and educational tracks (General School, Technical, Professional) implemented by the 75 participating schools, Multigroup analyses were conducted.

Implementing SWP in Italy challenges cultural norms, necessitating new structures and enhanced skills for teachers, especially tutors, to ensure effective student workforce integration (Gentili, 2016).

Schools have the task of designing educational pathways that are able to offer young people meaningful and stimulating experiences, that are able to integrate the different knowledge and skills acquired during their schooling, and that are able to make them explore professions and challenges of the world of work. In high schools, the design effort proves even more necessary because PTSOs should be aimed at exploring mainly profiles that are arrived at through a university pathway. On this basis was born the experience/experimentation design PTSOs Ricerchi-amo structured by the Giorgio Buchner High School of Ischia. The particularity of this project is that its educational and orientation objective was to direct young people to the profession of social scientist and to detect the effectiveness of the transition path between school and university. Specifically, the project consisted of 30 hours aimed at 2 separate groups of students. For the first 10 hours, students tackle social research methods and techniques together; then the groups split into two subgroups led by the 2 external experts.The first group conducts an action-research on how high school graduates approach choice and how they evaluate the guidance initiatives put in place by the school; the second group through research on the soft skills of a professional was tasked with reflecting on the path to pursue a particular profession. The survey of orientation needs is set against this backdrop and the idea that through a control group a kind of monitoring of choices could be initiated, identifying discrepancies and changes between the before (coming out of high school) and the after (after 12-18 months after enrolling in university), the aim was to improve and refine the orientation value of tools already in use, to define, on the basis of the needs that emerged, new intervention schemes to develop practical proposals useful for building the training and professional scenarios consistent with ambitions and interests of students. The outcomes of the follow-up offer interesting insights in this regard: university choice is correlated with interest in the disciplines proposed by the new cycle of studies identified. Rather evident is the weight of the social prestige of the profession exiting the chosen university path. The social and economic status that is associated with the medical and engineering professions has a strong value in the collective imagination of young people.These views are not often correlated with an understanding of how much the world of professions is changing and how traditional professions may evolve and transform over time. As much as the family does not appear to affect young people's choices, the connection that cultural pressures and expectations of social mobility may affect (even indirectly) young people's choices should be explored. In particular, the introduction of Follow up of students' choices in schools ensures that planning is increasingly adherent to the needs of the audience. Suggestions for the future are related to the transversality of the format, which could be imagined as a PTSOs transferable to any course of study and for any professional profile