Governance

Main actors

The  Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali, MLPS) designs, implements and coordinates initiatives related to labour policy and employment development, labour protection and adequacy of the social security system, as well as social policies, with particular attention to preventing and reducing situations of need and hardship of individuals and families. The Ministry's functions also include coordination tasks in the field of education and vocational training.

The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy, MIMIT) is tasked with supporting the development of the national productive fabric by promoting the quality, innovation, and excellence of Made in Italy. The main strategic actions include: supporting enterprises through an integrated industrial strategy at national and European level; safeguarding strategic sectors and the Made in Italy brand; constant price monitoring and surveillance to ensure the proper functioning of the market, as well as the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of administrative action.

The National Institute for the Analysis of Public Policies (Istituto Nazionale per l'Analisi delle Politiche Pubbliche, INAPP) is a public research institution that carries out the analysis, monitoring and evaluation of labour and employment services policies, education and training policies, social policies and, more in general, the policies which impact on the labour market. INAPP is the National Agency of the Erasmus+ Programme for Education and Vocational Training and, since 1 January 2018, acts as an Intermediate Body of the National Programme Youth, Women and Work 2021-2027, as delegated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies. The Programme contributes to the goal of a more social and inclusive Europe by promoting employment and skills, fostering employment for young people, women and vulnerable people and modernising labour services and active policies.

The National Institute for Social Security (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale, INPS) is a non-economic public body supervised by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The institute is responsible for providing social security benefits and income support to workers in cases of suspension or termination of employment; providing economic assistance to the most vulnerable groups of the population; providing various types of allowances in cases provided for by law; and managing the collection of social security contributions owed to the different pension schemes by both workers and employers.

Invitalia, the National Agency for Development, is responsible for promoting business competitiveness, supporting public administrations in the management, monitoring, and control of European and national funds, and is actively involved in the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Unioncamere is the public body representing the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts, and Agriculture. It develops and manages services and activities of interest to the Chambers of Commerce and economic sectors, coordinating initiatives across the system. Unioncamere enters into program agreements, understandings, and conventions with central government administrations, as well as national or local public bodies, promoting and supporting the connection between the Chamber system and business organisations, consumer associations, and labor unions.

General distribution of responsibilities

According to art. 117 of the Italian Constitution, the Italian Regions have concurrent legislative competency with the State concerning “complementary and supplementary pensions” and “professions” and “protection and safety of work”, while they have full-residual competence concerning “professional training”.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, as defined by Legislative Decree 150/2015, together with the regions and autonomous provinces within their respective areas of competence, exercises the role of political guidance in the field of active labour market policies, by identifying strategies, objectives and priorities that shape the national policy in this area. A decree issued by the Minister of Labour and Social Policies establishes the three-year policy guidelines and the annual objectives for active labour market measures, as well as the essential levels of services that must be provided throughout the national territory. 
The Regions are responsible for providing services to workers through their Employment Centres or through private operators for a wide range of these activities.

The National Labour Inspectorate (Ispettorato Nazionale del Lavoro, INL) is the agency, under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (MLPS), that carries out the inspection activities previously performed by the MLPS, INPS, and INAIL, planning and coordinating at both central and local levels the oversight in matters of labour and social legislation, as well as contribution and insurance matters. 

The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, through its regional territorial inspectorates, ensures monitoring and control activities across the territory. Furthermore, it promotes the enhancement and protection of Made in Italy products and provides support to businesses through the Made in Italy Houses, structures dedicated to gathering and interpreting the needs of local communities, in coordination with the relevant authorities and administrations.

Cross-sectoral cooperation

In Italy, intersectoral cooperation in the field of youth employment and entrepreneurship is implemented through a structured system of collaboration between ministries, departments, and public agencies, with the aim of ensuring coherence and integration between education and labour policies. The main actors involved are the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Ministry of Education and Merit, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. 

These institutions work together in the design and implementation of strategic programs such as the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the GOL Program for active labour policies, and the National Program for Youth, Women, and Work 2021–2027, which continues the initiatives launched with the Youth Guarantee. This cooperation also takes shape through the involvement of regional authorities, social partners, chambers of commerce, and third-sector organisations.

A significant example of shared governance is represented by the “Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation” (Percorsi per le Competenze Trasversali e per l'Orientamento, PCTO), which align the educational goals of schools with the needs of the labour market and entrepreneurship through coordination among the school system, enterprises and employment services.

At the operational level, entities such as Invitalia and Unioncamere play a key role in implementing youth-oriented policies, introducing tools that integrate education, employment, innovation, and social inclusion.