Abstract

The study investigates, besides innovative trends, the state of the art in certification processes and the main regulatory references and policies which in a European context have contributed to delineating the complex conceptual framework underpinning the training and enhancement of human capital. Our analysis of the certification of skills in Italy starts from a survey inherent to the university system as a whole with a focus on the Diploma Supplement (DS) part of a European initiative that unites in a systematic and efficacious manner, training and employment circuits. The article examines the extent to which the DS has contributed to the interaction between training and employment supply chains by means of a survey carried out at the University of Salerno relative to the knowledge and use of the DS on the part of graduates in the academic year 2013-2014. In particular, our analysis pivots on two elements, one of a descriptive nature, in terms of the characteristics of the students interviewed and the other more specific, i.e. the appraisal of the tool with respect to its usefulness in meeting the challenges set by the labour market.