Law 388/00, Article 118 (as amended by Law 289/2002, art. 48) provides for the possibility of creating joint funds for continuing education.
The Funds have been set up jointly by the associations representing employers and workers' unions on a sectoral basis, with the aim of promoting the development of the continuous training of workers through the funding of training plans at company, sectoral, territorial and individual presented by industry members to funds.
Each company must pay to the INPS for each employee of compulsory contributions. In these contributions is included insurance against possible unemployment, it consists dall'1,61% of the gross salary of each employee. Law 388 of 2000 (Art.118) enables companies to allocate 0.30% of the compulsory contribution for involuntary unemployment in the training of their employees.
How does it work? Companies can join one (or two, if one of the employees there are also executives) of the various existing joint funds. Since that time the company moved 0.30% of the compulsory contribution for involuntary unemployment INPS to the Fund, and may start to apply for funding for the training of its employees. If you make this choice, at no additional charge, without any constraint and without losing unemployment benefits, you can request to receive in exchange for training in a completely free.
The membership of the companies in one of the existing funds trade, each with different rules regarding the courses financed and how to access, it is totally free.
Funds may finance actions of information, education, training and continuous updating of workers in all sectors: industry, trade, services, service industry and agriculture.
They can be used by companies that have participated and that they comply with the payment of additional contributions for involuntary unemployment.
There are currently 21 funds, three of which dedicated to managers; some of the funds that exist today are:
Handicraft Training Fund: Fund for continuing training in small businesses;
Fon.Coop: Fund for continuing training in cooperative enterprises;
Fondimpresa: Fund for continuing education;
Fund Managers SMEs: Fund for the continuing professional education of managers of industrial SMEs;
SME Training Fund: Fund for continuing education for small and medium-sized enterprises;
FONDIR: Fund for the training of managers of the tertiary sector;
FOR.TE .: Fund for the formation of the tertiary sector;
Fondirigenti: Foundation for training to management in industrial enterprises;
FON.TER .: Fund for continuing training of employees in enterprises in the service sector: tourism sectors and distribution services;
Fondoprofessioni: Fund for Continuing Education in Professional Studies;
Fond.ER: Fund for the continuing education of Religious Bodies;
Fon.Ar.Com .: fund for continuing education in the tertiary sectors, crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises.
