Lifelong learning policies and young adults: Considerations from two Italian case studies

ABSTRACT

The article focuses on social vulnerability and how Lifelong Learning (LLL) policies tackle it. Two Italian case studies on local LLL measures within Italian Youth Guarantee (YG) scheme are discussed: Civic Service in Genoa and NEETwork Project in Milan. The aim is to investigate how such measures shape the life courses of young adults in vulnerable conditions. Examining whether their support of the school–work transitions meets the youths’ needs, accounting for the different contexts and the individual resources and shortcomings. Similarities and differences between the two case studies are discussed, focusing on policies’ governance and concept of vulnerability applied to young adults. A conceptualisation of the vulnerability as a process developing over the young adults’ life course trajectories is presented. Conceiving it in a multidimensional way, discussing the interplay between the individual resources, and contextual factors in emerging ‘vulnerable conditions’ of young adults. Then, the article proposes possible interpretations of the ways in which young adults relate to and cope with LLL policies, according to the Merton’s strain theory, outlining different strategies of adaptation in uncertain biographies. The risk to increase social exclusion and inequalities is discussed as an unintended effect of LLL policies.

KEYWORDS:

• Lifelong learning
• young adults
• vulnerability
• social inequalities
• case study

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. For further information, see http://www.young-adulllt.eu/.

2. Functional Region (FR) is defined as a sub-division of territories that result from the spatial differentiation and organisation of social and economic relations rather than to geographical or administrative boundaries and particularities or to historical developments (OECD, 2016).

3. This is confirmed by statistical data (Eurostat, 2019): in Italy the rate of youngers (20–29 years) living with parents is significantly higher than in the European Union (27 Countries) and the values have progressively grown in recent years; from 73.5% in 2010 to 79% in 2017 (vs EU values of, respectively, 54.4% and 55.8%). A gender difference emerges: in 2017 84.4% of Italian male youngers were living with parents (vs EU value of 62,2%) and 73,3% of these were female (vs EU value of 49.1%).

4. As previously stated, Genoa and Milan FRs correspond, respectively, to the Metropolitan City of Genoa and Milan. Some statistical data, however, are available only at regional level; for instance, the Welfare models are referred just to regional level, not to FRs’ one.

5. The XXI Survey on Graduates’ Employment Status realised by AlmaLaurea (2019), involving about 640,000 graduates from 75 Italian Universities, investigated the ‘degree’s effectiveness’, which combines the need for the degree by the current job (formal or substantive) and the use of skills acquired at the university. Just for about half of graduates who are employed 1 year after graduation, the degree is considered ‘very effective or effective’; however, it has to be noted that compared to the 2014 survey, there has been an increase of 9.0 percentage points for first-level graduates and 5.5 percentage points for second-level graduates (only in the last year, +3.5 and +4.3 points, respectively).

6. Skills formation refers to the space where different actors offer skills training (usually public authorities via the formal education and training system, or employers, or private training providers) and individuals take part into training to improve their skills. Deployment of skilled labour refers to the space where different actors offer and/or seek for skills to be used in the labour market. Supply of skilled labour refers to the individuals who want to offer their skills in the labour market; demand of skilled labour usually refers to employers, either private, public or third sector organisations (Capsada-Munsech et al., 2018, pp. 9–10).

7. Thirteen young adults (7 in Genoa and 6 in Milan) and 19 experts (7 in Genoa and 12 in Milan) were interviewed from March 2016 to July 2017.

8. On this point, the dominant assumptions embedded in the policies according to which training seems to be the only way of access to work leads to wonder if it really takes so much training for a medium-low level work and if different forms of access to work exist.

Additional information

Funding

The research on which this article draws has been funded by the European Commission under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under the Contract Number: 693167 (YOUNG_ADULLLT).

Notes on contributors

Mauro Palumbo

Mauro Palumbo is a full professor of sociology at the University of Genoa, where he teaches Design, Analysis, Planning of social and educational policies, Sociology of Health and Sociology of Tourism. Founder of the Italian Evaluation Association, that presided (2004-2007), he coordinates the ‘Evaluation’ Book Series since 1999. He is delegate of the Rector for Lifelong Learning and President of the Academy for Health Management. He founded and presided also the Italian University Network for Lifelong Learning (RUIAP). Has been also Director of his Department and Coordinator of a Ph.D. Course on Social Sciences (till Cycle XXXIII). His research interests are methodology of social research and evaluation, in particular of education, university and research; social inequalities and social mobility; school-work transitions, social planning and local development.

He has published over 180 essays on these subjects and has coordinated the local Genoese research unit in 20 projects financed by call, including 15 European projects (Erasmus, Grundwig, Horizon 2020). He also carried out consultant, research and planning activities for the Region and local authorities on these same topics, on behalf of the University of Genoa.

Valeria Pandolfini

Valeria Pandolfini, Ph.D. in Research Methodology in Human Sciences, is adjunct Professor in Sociology at the University of Genoa, Italy. Her main research interests include educational processes, training systems and lifelong learning, in particular issues of social inequalities in education and evaluation of educational policies, with special regard to methodological aspects linked to combined use of qualitative and quantitative techniques and to the application of new technologies in social research. On such topics she has published several articles in national and international peer reviewed journals; she is member of the editorial team of journal on educational and methodological subjects.

From 2012 to 2018 she has been member of the Scientific Board of Sociology of Education Section of the Italian Sociological Association. From 2017 she coordinates the Thematic Group ‘Evaluation, Communication and Digital Literacy’ of the Italian Evaluation Association. She’s member of the Observatory of Social Inequalities hosted at Di.Sfor.