Editorial
According to the Eurostat data, in 2016, Italy was the second to last country in Europe for the employment rate of newly graduates three years after their graduation. The Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) research reveals that, in July 2017, more than a third of the young Italian workforce was unemployed. Although the Italian universities offer high-quality content, its management and the inability to prepare the students for the next phase of their life, deny young people a smooth transition from one stage to the next. The situation degenerated due to the lack of governmental support and the economic crisis.
Young people expect little because they have been taught they deserve little, that working is a luxury, not a right. Italy is a Democratic Republic based on work. It used to be, not anymore.
While looking for a job, many of us have come across advertisements such as: seeking an intern for a fixed-term contract, travelling expenses offered; looking for a full-time intern, five hundred euro monthly salary; customer service intern, five hundred euro monthly salary plus meal ticket.
Compared to the past when interns were offered experience in exchange for full-time hours, these job offers are an achievement. Internships are an opportunity not many have, it builds momentum and offers the chance to showcase one’s skills. Once hired, the new recruits will work hard to prove themselves, eventually sign a fixed contract that will allow, for a brief period of time, to find a financial stability while enjoying the deceptive victory.
Sometimes, though, the hard work and study don’t pay off and the apprenticeship goes from being a hopeful wait to a swamp.
Real chance or charade?
Nowadays, internships are often an integral part of a university degree course; the opportunity allows the students to work within a professional reality and learn useful skills. In a controlled environment, the trainees are supervised during the learning process and, at the same time, are encouraged to expand their horizons and explore the options at their disposal.
There are mixed opinions about how effective internships are, some of those who benefited from the program praised its results, others complained about how the mandatory hours took time from studying and part-time employment crucial to being able to pay the university’s fees. An important variable in the equation is the approach the company has towards young people. It is an opportunity for both parts; on one hand, young people have the advantage of gaining first-hand experience in the workplace; on the other, employers have the chance to become mentors and train young people, the backbone of the future economy. There is an abundance of horror stories, personal accounts of students stuck with meaningless tasks. The internship works only if it is the stepping stone of a path that aims at training the workforce and is not seen simply as a the replacement of a temp agency.
“If she doesn’t scare you, no evil thing will. To see her is to take a sudden chill,” but this is a story for another time.
It is an opportunity for both parts; on one hand, young people have the advantage of gaining first-hand experience in the workplace; on the other, employers have the chance to become mentors and train young people, the backbone of the future economy.
