Cons.A.R. - Italian Shipowner's Research Consortium

Introduction:

The "Cristoforo Colombo" institute of Torre del Greco develops three-year and five-year courses for electronics and electrical specialists. In the course of the final biennium (4th and 5th year classes), the schooling includes the so-called alternation school-job, with the organization of stages within companies or operators.

Taking under consideration the vocation of the territory, the potential opportunities for intergration, the availability of the companies, the maritime sector has been identified as possible ambit for carrying out the stage.

Cons.A.R. is a Ltd. Consortium Company, having as members the main italian Shipping Companies. As a statutory mandate, among the others, there is the aiding to the growth and promotion of the shipping. Cons.A.R., being able to perform the stage through the direct involvement of the member companies, has manifested its availability to host the school-job alternation phase.

Motivation and purpose of the project:

The maritime transport sector asks for high and specific technical professionalism. In the last years, for various national and international reasons, we have assisted to a prrogressive shortage in recruitment of italian personnel corresponding to some on-board staff profiles by the national shipping companies. In particular, on board the national ships, there is a shortage of figures with electrical and electronics competence. This positions are actually covered by foreign personnel.
On the other hand we are seeing that there is a remarkable integration problem for this kind of technical graduates in ashore companies.

The ambitious purpose of the stage is to build an organic and structured contact opportunity between the students and the world of maritime work by drawing a path useful to provide to the students:
- an outline of knowledge of the sector
- a vision of the requirements
- a specific orientation of knowledge and skills
- an opportunity to learn and practice.

The territorial closeness of the school and of the stakeholders involved in the stage could represent a potential opportunity of occupational insertion for the future graduates.

Dimensions, characteristics, recipients and parameters of the stage:
The total hours, expected by the schooling system for the operation "school-job alternation", are 133/class. The stage is conceived on a two-years extension, each of wich with about 62 hours duration. The aim is to progressively walk the students, first in the fourth class, then in the fifth. The availability is for total 18 students and, therefore, only one class has been admitted. Considering the curricular charactheristics, the 4th electronics class has been chosen for the stage. The stage takes place in about 4 months (March/June) and consists in meeting with experts and guided tours within the working environments.
In principle, all the activities are performed outside the school structure. Compatibly with the needs of the students and with the schooling programmes, the stage hours could be carried out during school or extra-school hours.

Synthetic data:
Involved course and class: Fourth and fifth year of the Electronics course in the two-years 2010-11 / 2011-12
Total Students: 18
Stage Dates (for 2011): Half February to Half June
Total Hours: 133, 73 in the 2011, 60 in the 2012
Total Hours for meetings with experts: 43
Total Hours for sites visiting: 30 (4-5 visites)