Working in Italy, vacancies
Italy’s economy
She is one of the strongest in the world. The branches of the textile, motor vehicle and food industries in particular are heavily involved in economic growth. The service sector lives from tourism, which is particularly in demand in the south with the most tourist traffic. Italy’s best-known agricultural products include wheat products, fine wines, cheese, olive oil and wool.
Job search
It is advisable to calmly look for a job and sign an employment contract before emigrating to Italy, as this is required right from the start for all purchases such as rental agreement, bank account, car insurance, etc.
A relatively large supply of free and qualified jobs can be found especially in northern Italy in the city triangle of Milan-Turin-Genoa, where the wage level is also significantly higher than in the south. In Milan, emigrants will find the most job offers and also get the highest salaries (but this is also where the cost of living is highest).
According to countryvv, large international companies in Italy do not advertise their job ads at all or only on their own company website, so applications on their own initiative are required here. As an emigrant, you must insist on an open-ended contract, which means that after the usually 6-month probationary period you will be practically non-terminable (thanks to the strong Italian trade unions).
But you should also know that Italy is very formalistic. For example, there are always difficulties with the recognition of foreign professional titles. Made in Germany is often not enough. Academics should get good advice beforehand. It happens again and again that the Italian authorities refuse access to the profession.
Everyday work and the language
A traditional Italian working day is Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. As in many southern countries, the shops are closed for lunch and the employees can enjoy a long lunch break. However, this day-to-day work is no longer commonplace. With increasing modernization and adaptation to the surrounding countries and their customs, the working hours were partially adjusted to the Western European 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. rhythm.
To start work, you should have at least a good basic knowledge of the Italian language. Test here for free how well you speak and understand Italian (takes about 3 minutes).
Income tax
In principle, everyone who is resident in Italy and earns his income there is also taxable in Italy. In some exceptional cases, Italy grants resident foreigners a special status and tax them like non-residents. This is the double taxation agreement. The aim of this agreement is to avoid double taxation of income in several countries. For more information on whether this also applies to you, please contact the Italian consulate or embassy.
Compulsory social security
Employees in Italy are automatically insured in the Italian social security system and are registered with the social security system by the employer. The contribution rates vary depending on the branch in which you work (trade, industry, agriculture…) and what position you hold (worker, manager, office worker…). As a rule, the contribution rate of an employee is 10% of the gross income. That corresponds to about a third of the salary. The remaining two thirds are taken over by the employer.
Education – Italy’s school system
If you move to another EU country as an EU citizen, your children are entitled to free introductory lessons there. This means that the children are entitled to a language course in the new national language in order to facilitate their integration into the new school.
Nevertheless, there are often considerable differences in the school systems, also within Europe. It is therefore possible that school reports from previous years will not be automatically recognized at the new school and you will have to apply to the local authorities for recognition. In the following you will learn more about how the school system is organized in Italy.
Even if the schools in the individual regions have a great deal of freedom in structuring their lessons, the state has exclusive legislative competence with regard to general educational rules and the determination of the essential performance levels. Schools in the individual regions must observe these rules when exercising their powers.
Organization of the grade levels
Children from 3 to 6 years of age can attend kindergarten. Attending kindergarten is not compulsory. The first educational cycle comprises a total of 8 years and starts with primary school (scula primera). Children between the ages of 6 and 11 attend elementary school for 5 years. Then they switch to secondary level 1. This lasts 3 years and ends the first school cycle.
In the second educational cycle, students can choose between attending a grammar school (licei), a technical college (istituti tecnici) and a vocational school (istituti professionali). Attending one of these schools lasts 5 years and the students complete it with the central Abitur (esame di stato).
In Italy, compulsory schooling lasts 10 years and includes the 8 years of the first cycle of education and 2 years of the second cycle of education. Up to the age of 18, the young people must have achieved a 3-year professional qualification.
German schools
In the cities of Milan, Genoa and Rome, your child can also attend a German school. However, the visit is not exactly cheap. As a private school, the parents pay around 3,500 to 4,500 euros in school fees each year.
Disabled children
If your child has a disability and needs a carer of their own during lessons, you can apply for an assistant teacher at the social welfare office. In Italy, too, integration into a normal school is offered for disabled children.
Homeschooling, homeschooling, free learning
An increasingly popular alternative to normal school attendance is homeschooling (home tuition or home tuition) or free learning (unschooling). Since Italy does not provide for compulsory school attendance in connection with school attendance, parents can also choose the alternative and teach their child from home. To do this, the local education authority has to be informed about this project every year. The school authorities reserve the right to carry out checks to ensure that parents are conscientiously fulfilling their training obligations.
The parents have to declare that they have both the technical and the economic possibilities for this. The parents can prove the technical possibilities, for example, by having their own high school diploma. This means that the children can be taught until they graduate from middle school.
The children are still registered at a school and can therefore take part in the annual final exams as external candidates. You can find more information on homeschooling in Italy at controscuola.it.
Another option is to have the children taught at home in German by the Wilhelm von Humboldt Online Private School. This means that children can be taught according to the German curriculum by teachers who are accredited in Germany and thus be prepared for the secondary school leaving certificate and the Abitur – information HERE.
