Quel che resta della socializzazione lavorativa. Una riflessione sulle politiche per l’occupazione giovanile in Italia

The paper analyzes the concept of work socialization and its crisis in order to reinterpret the condition of young people in the European societies by the lens of the capability approach, linking individual responsibility for their activation to the institutional responsibility in guaranteeing equal opportunities. Young people not only experience a difficult transition from education to work, but also a sort of break in the path towards job roles and adult life, as the increasing number of Neets in the EU shows. The analysis focuses on the Youth Guarantee Program and its implementation in Italy, investigating the ways in which they contribute to shape and change work socialization, culture and values, in the interactions that involve young people, public services, schools, employers and companies. This point of view is used to verify a relevant hypothesis: the work socialization undergoes a crisis of legitimacy and trust but it remains a key issue. How to create a new link among individuals, social system, education and work? The paper underlines the conditions that make the work socialization possible, by promoting the capabilities for work of the young and calling companies and educational institutions as relevant stakeholders for labour market policies.