TRAINING IN ITALY.

ITALY AND AMERICA, WHICH HAVE SIMILAR PATTERNS OF URBAN IMMIGRATION, FACE THE CHALLENGES OF EFFICIENTLY MAKING UNTRAINED MANPOWER INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCTIVE AND REDUCING POVERTY. THUS, THE UNITED STATES MIGHT WELL HEED ITALY'S RESPONSE TO THAT CHALLENGE BY ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING SCHOOLS WHICH, THROUGH CLOSE COOPERATION BETWEEN MAJOR INDUSTRIES AND THE SCHOOLS, GEARS ITSELF TO PROVIDING ACTUAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES. IN THIS SYSTEM, AT ABOUT THE EIGHTH GRADE, STUDENTS IN ITALIAN SCHOOLS ARE CAREFULLY ADVISED BY PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED VOCATIONAL COUNSELORS AND SUBSEQUENTLY PLACED IN CENTERS WHERE THEY ARE TAUGHT SKILLS FOR JOBS WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THEM. HENCE, THEY ARE VIRTUALLY GUARANTEED GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT. THE EMPHASIS IN THIS TRAINING PROGRAM IS ON TEACHING THE STUDENT SPECIFIC SKILLS RATHER THAN ON COMPENSATING FOR HIS CULTURAL BACKGROUND. IF THE UNITED STATES WERE TO FOLLOW ITALY'S EXAMPLE IN ALLOWING PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO PARTICIPATE MORE IN SUCH TRAINING PROGRAMS, CRUCIAL NEEDS OF THE WORKER, AND ALSO THE MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS OF AN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVELY MET. AND, SINCE FULL NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT WOULD INCREASE CONSUMER CONSUMPTION AND DEMAND, POVERTY MIGHT BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE CONFERENCE ON TRAINING THE NONPROFESSIONAL (WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 15-16, 1967). (LB)