Abstract

Higher Technical Institutes (ITS) constitute the main vocational tertiary training channel in Italy. This paper aims at studying the ITS, pointing out two main research questions: a) what is the size of the ITS system, in terms of courses, students, etc., and how it evolves over time; b) which characteristics of the ITS courses favour the employment outcomes of its graduates. Analysing the national micro-data on ITS collected by INDIRE, findings show that the ITS system has tripled from its origin to 2017. Moreover, the large size of the technological area of Made in Italy and the characteristics of the students – especially men from technical schools – show that the ITS are primarily embedded in the secondary sector, although the number of women and students from academic schools and universities is increasing over time. The employment outcomes are better, on average, than those of upper secondary and bachelor graduates. The field of study and the geographical area where the courses take place are crucial factors behind the employability of ITS students. The composition of the students is important too, whereas the operational characteristics of the courses are less crucial, even those concerning the involvement of companies and other actors from the labour market.