School dropouts and "brain drain" abroad are phenomena that also affect Italy but which, according to the CGIA of Mestre, are perceived very differently. The first is not perceived as an educational plague which is reflected in a frightening social cost, the second is perceived as a great emergency.
In 2022, there were 465,0001 young people in Italy who left school prematurely, equal to 11.5% of the population in the 18-24 age group. Also in the same year, the so-called "brain drain" who left the country to move abroad numbered 55,500. The former, therefore, are 8 times higher in number than the latter.
The Artisans of Mestre observe that for many SMEs it will be difficult to find trained personnel, also considering other phenomena such as the ongoing demographic crisis and the "digital revolution" now upon us. The conceivable consequences are that of fewer and fewer young people, partly equipped with an insufficient level of education and, furthermore, of personnel who are not prepared to be included in the production processes.
Compared to the main countries of the European Union, Italy presents two major problems in the field of education and school training. The first is a low number of diplomas and graduates, especially in scientific subjects. Furthermore, a high level of educational poverty which, according to experts, goes hand in hand with economic poverty.
The "escape" from school is mainly determined by cultural, social and economic factors and, at a territorial level, it is the southern regions that have the "black shirt". From the comparison between school dropout and "brain drain", Campania presents the highest gap (the former is numerically 16 larger than the latter). This is followed by Puglia and Sicily with 14, and Tuscany and Sardinia with 8. Although school dropouts are decreasing across Europe, among the 20 Eurozone countries in 2022 Italy was in third place among young people among 18 and 24 years old (11.5% of the corresponding population). Only Spain (13.9%) and Germany (12.2) had a worse result than Italy. The Euro Area average was 9.7%.
(Unioneonline/ss)
