The issue, however, is the chronic shortage of skilled labour: sheet metal workers, welders, carpenters, plumbers, and flooring specialists are becoming almost impossible to find. Yet these are all essential professions, that combine ancient knowledge with modern technical progress. Expertise, skill, and mastery are all required on a building site to deal with rapid, increasingly sophisticated developments in the materials being used and ever more demanding government regulations. The positive intention is to ensure that buildings are long lasting and comfortable. Construction work requires PRECISION, creativity, and intellectual vivacity. For instance, the sheet metal professionals recruited by Zintek have a solid knowledge of titanium-zinc. With each project, they must be able to fold it into any design and at any angle, based on unique requirements. This expertise comes from continuous professional development, which in time leads construction workers to become part of the design and implementation process. The crucial information that can be gathered in situ encourages architects and engineers to hone their materials, consider their installation, and, ultimately, the design of the buildings in the first place. So why do young Italians so rarely choose fascinating jobs like these, which would also allow them to improve life in their community? As well as the ongoing prejudice mentioned earlier, the relationship between the Italian school system and businesses is problematic. Schools still seem unable to offer an education that combines theory and practice, while businesses do not invest time to show pupils the importance and beauty of traditional crafts, and fail to paint an attractive picture of specialist tradespeople. We are still a long way from achieving the benefits promised by the programmes introduced in recent years that allow young people to attend a mixture of school and the world of work. There is no shortage of inspirational models in Europe. In Germany, vocational high schools follow a dual system that combines classroom-based lessons with an apprenticeship at a business (Berufsschule). The schedule is divided intoblocksofdaysorweeksat school and others spent at a workplace, on an apprenticeship contract—students even receiveabasic salary for the periods they work. In France, after a few years of secondary school, youngsters have access to vocational education in apprentice training centres. The syllabus is chosen in partnership with businesses, and students are supported by a tutor. One of the most interesting programmes is part of the Austrian education system. The Berufsbildende mittlere Schulen and Berufsbildende höhere Schulen are upper secondary schools with a vocational focus, and pair a traditional curriculum with obligatory work experience. As in France, the teaching programmes are flexible and constantly evolving to better meet the needs of the manufacturing sectors. The Higher Technical Institute for Mechanical Engineering alone offers ten different training courses, which indicates just how specialist the Austrian educational pathways can be. In Italy, the patchy relationship with the school system has prompted some businesses — those operProcessing stages on a construction site. The installers of the Zintek team are always equipped with specific clothing and protection systems in accordance with the law. ARCHITYPES 44 EXCERPT
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODUwMjE2