The Italian capital, Rome, has expanded its dual apprenticeship programme since joining a Europe-wide alliance in 2017, offering training in roles ranging from hairdressing and catering to IT and electrical work.
The Metropolitan City of Rome said it made a pledge in 2017 to strengthen “dual education”, where apprentices split their time between classroom learning and paid, hands-on work, according to a European Commission statement on the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) issued on Tuesday.
Apprenticeships are currently available in areas including wellness services (such as hairdressing and aesthetics), kitchen technician roles, motor vehicle repair, electrical operations, IT, and thermo-hydraulic work, the Commission said.
Rome first engaged with the alliance in 2016, when the EAfA Awards and European Vocational Skills Week were launched, and its pledge was accepted the following year.
EAfA membership has connected Rome with a network of partners including governments, education providers, employers, regional authorities and vocational training organisations across Europe and beyond, allowing it to exchange practices on managing and improving dual apprenticeships.
New telecoms partnerships and training from September 2026
In January 2026, Rome signed a cooperation agreement with ASSTEL, an association representing Italy’s telecommunications sector, and Sielte, a company working on telecommunications and digital tools, the Commission statement informed.
The partnerships are linked to work on a “mapping of 70 key skills for the present and the future” developed by ASSTEL.
From September 2026, a first group of students will train as Electrical Operators with specialised instructors in six new dual-modality laboratories.
Rome has also been developing a project called “At the School of Equality” over the past two years, with activities including meetings with psychologists and visits to anti-violence centres.
The proportion of apprentices in Rome for the 2025/2026 academic year is about 1.36%, the Metropolitan City of Rome said in the Commission statement.
