Scuola Centrale Formazione (SCF), Italy

Scuola Centrale Formazione

SCF is a no-profit organisation joining together 45 organisations managing about 100 VET centres distributed in 11 regions in the North, Centre and South of Italy. SCF works primarily to offer a representative support and an effective coordinating action to all associates, with a specific interest on methodologies, evaluation, innovation and transfer of best practices.

The Ministry of Labour recognizes SCF as a national training association, according to the Law n.40/87. This implies a national financing decided according to a set of indicators connected to activities realized and number of regions where these activities are done.

In 2015, its balance sheet accounted 3,575,426.00€; turnover was 2,493,211.00€.

Declaration sent to the Ministry of Labour highlighted that all SCF’s members realized in 2015 14,537,162 hours of training (that is 1,298 courses/programmes) for 19,499 young and adult trainees and 1,958 staff people involved (1,214 are trainers).

Main activities of associated partners concern: counselling, vocational training for young people aged 14-17 still in compulsory education, targeted programmes (counselling, support, training and activation measures, work-experiences, etc.) for the unemployed and the disadvantaged groups (including migrants, the disabled, ex-prisoners), alphabetisation for migrants, cultural mediation, apprenticeships

Main activities of SCF can be divided into 3 areas according to the source of financing:

1) Activities under Law 40/87. This area includes:

• Innovation. In 2013, SCF launched the INN project aiming to promote a renewed organisation of the didactics changing learning environments and integrating disciplines, tools, contents and also people. Training of at least 240 trainers from our associates; a Scientific Committee (4 people involved) supervises all activities.
• Researches on topics related to members’ activities, target groups, issues (all available on SCF’s website).
• Conferences, seminars and training of the staff: in 2013, we promoted 56 training sessions (courses and seminars) thus involving 419 persons from 39 associated members.

2) EU funded project.

SCF has been participating, as promoter or partner, in 21 of EU projects + 10 still running financed by ERASMUS+ KA2, LLP (Grundtvig and Leonardo), Daphne III, Progress, IPA Adriatic, AGIS, and Tempus thus creating a network of partners in 26 countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the UK.

2) 3) Mobility.

Since 2001, SCF has promoted foreign mobility within the Leonardo da Vinci programme and Erasmus KA1 for more than 1,400 people, of which almost 800 young people in initial vocational training, 167 young graduates and graduates, and 416 VET professionals (28 projects). Actually SCF is coordinating/partner of 6 mobility projects for 410 students and 222 Staff professionals within the period 2014 – 2017. In 2015 SCF obtained the CHART of VET Mobility, a recognition delivered by the National Agency Erasmus and the European Commission on the basis of the experience and the qualitative mobility management SCF has realized and is going to realize in the next future. SCF promotes the outgoing and incoming Mobility.

Since 2010 SCF has hosted almost 200 VET Learners coming mainly from Spain and Germany.

At the national level, SCF is member of the following networks/associations:

• CONFAP - Confederazione Nazionale Formazione Aggiornamento Professionale (www.confap.it), which traditionally finds a common inspiration in the Christian social and represents more than 350 VET centres nationwide.
• OPEN Consortium - Offenders Pathways to Employment National Network (www.openconsorzio.org) promotes social and working re-inclusion of juvenile and adult offenders and ex-offenders through programmes aimed at preventing exclusion and recidivism.
• C’Entro working in the socio-assistance and health sectors through education, rehabilitation and assistance services. C’entro is member of the EU network Eurocarers (www.eurocarers.org).
• FARI - Federazione delle Associazioni Rurali Italiane (www.federazionefari.it) is an association promoting training and learning to preserve the rural environment, and its products. FARI is member of AIMFR – International Association of Family Movements for Rural Training (www.aimfr.org)

At the EU level, SCF is member of CEC – Comité Européen de Coordination (www.cecasbl.be) regrouping 21 members based in 14 EU Member States.

In 2014, SCF joined AMFORHT – World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Training (www.amforht.com) that links Training and Education, Hospitality and Tourism trades, Education and training services of international governmental and non-governmental organizations.

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