Abstract

The essay analyses the organisational models of public employment services and private agencies in the international and comparative contexts. The exams take the cue from ILO conventions and recommendations to point out their contribution to the shaping of PES and to the definition of the relationship between PES and private agencies. Then, the author deals with the EU role, and namely with the European employment strategy, which from the first guidelines to the most recent ones, coordinated with the European pillar of social rights and the Next Generation EU, has underlined the importance of PES and the partnership they build with other private and public actors. The second part of the contribution concerns the implementation of all these indications in the comparative framework, by outlining common trends. In conclusion, the recent Italian experience is contextualised in the international and comparative framework, with a particular attention paid to the role of private agencies. According to the author, at least at the level of legislative regulation Italy is catching up with the most advanced European experiences, but in this field the concrete implementation is crucial.