99673 - Activation and Reskilling Policies

Learning outcomes

The course aims to address the issue of activation with particular reference to the arena of labor policies and work-life balance. The first part of the course will focus on the concept of activation, its historical changes and the identification of the links with education and family policies. Subsequently, the different activation models, their aims and the variety of interventions will be examined. The analysis will be carried out by comparing national cases, also considering the impact of the interventions provided at the local level. At the end of the course, students will be able to: a) recognize the diversity of activation patterns; b) develop intervention plans at national and local level.

Course contents

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical and analytical tools needed to understand the main transformations of contemporary labour markets, with particular attention to their effects on the structure of employment, job content, skills, labour-market transitions, and social and territorial inequalities. These transformations will be examined through the cross-cutting perspectives of gender, the life course, and territory. The final part of the course will focus on policy responses developed through active labour market policies, training policies, and public employment services.

The course is organised around four main thematic areas.

The first area focuses on changes in the employment structure of European and Italian labour markets since the 1970s. It will examine processes of tertiarisation, changes in the sectoral and occupational composition of employment, the growth and decline of different occupational groups, and the debate on occupational upgrading and polarisation. It will also address labour-market segmentation, the spread of precarious forms of employment, and changes in job quality.

The second area examines the relationship between technological change, work, and skills. It will analyse the effects of digitalisation, automation, robotisation, and artificial intelligence on the quantity and content of work, considering processes of substitution and complementarity between labour and technology, as well as changes in the demand for skills. Particular attention will also be paid to skills mismatch, the risk of skills obsolescence, and the need for upskilling and reskilling.

The third area focuses on transitions and inequalities in contemporary labour markets. It will address the transition from education to work, movements between employment, unemployment, and inactivity, the situation of young people not in employment, education, or training (NEETs), and the transitions affecting the middle and later stages of working careers. Particular attention will be paid to differences between women and men in labour-market participation, careers, and employment conditions; to the relationship between paid work and care responsibilities; and to processes through which disadvantages accumulate over the working life. Territorial differences in employment opportunities, labour-market transitions, and exposure to economic and technological change will also be examined.

The fourth area concerns public policy responses. It will introduce the concept of activation, its historical development, and the main models of intervention. The relationships between active labour market policies, training policies, and work–life balance policies will be examined, together with the role of public employment services. Specific attention will be devoted to the Italian system, differences between regional models, and recent trends towards the digitalisation and personalisation of services.

The different thematic areas will be developed through comparisons among European countries and a more detailed examination of the Italian case. The territorial perspective will make it possible to explore how the productive structure, the characteristics of the population, and the availability of services and institutional resources shape both changes in employment and the implementation of policies.

The course combines discussion of the relevant literature with the analysis of data, research reports, and empirical cases.

A detailed schedule of classes, compulsory readings, and related activities will be presented during the first class and made available on the Virtuale platform.

Readings/Bibliography

Reyneri E. (2017), Introduzione alla sociologia del mercato del lavoro, Il Mulino (Capitoli 1, 6, 7)

Semenza R. (a cura di) (2022), Manuale di Sociologia del Lavoro (Terza edizione), UTET. (Capitoli 2; 4, 5, 6 e 8)

Ferrera, M e Jessoula M. (a cura di)(2025) Le politiche sociali (Quarta edizione), Il Mulino (Capilto 2: "La politica del lavoro")

Scarano, G. (2022). Politiche attive del lavoro e servizi per l'impiego: tra miti e riforme. EGEA spa.

The core texts will be complemented by scientific articles and research reports focusing on changes in the employment structure, automation, labour-market transitions, gender, life-course and territorial inequalities, and active labour market policies.

Examples of the readings that may be included are:

• Fernández-Macías, E., Torrejón Pérez, S., Hurley, J., Staffa, E. (2025). The Debate: Context and Literature Review. In: Torrejón Pérez, S., Fernández-Macías, E., Hurley, J. (eds) Global Trends in Job Polarisation and Upgrading. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76228-4_2
• Capello, R. e Lenzi, C. (2023), “Automation and labour market inequalities: a comparison between cities and non-cities”, npj Urban Sustainability, 3, articolo 56. DOI: 10.1038/s42949-023-00135-8.
• INAPP, Esposito M. (a cura di), Rapporto annuale su mercato del lavoro e politiche di genere. (Gender Policy Report 2025), Roma, Inapp https://oa.inapp.gov.it/handle/20.500.12916/5086
• Bergamante, F., Chiozza, A., Giuliani, L. e Romito, A. (a cura di) (2025), La (difficile) transizione scuola-lavoro dei giovani, INAPP Policy Brief, n. 36, settembre 2025, Roma, INAPP.
• INAPP (2024), Rapporto INAPP 2024. Lavoro e formazione: necessario un cambio di paradigma, Roma, INAPP. https://www.inapp.gov.it/pubblicazioni/rapporto/edizioni-pubblicate/rapporto-inapp-2024
• Stefano Sacchi, Gianluca Scarano, Anna Di Palma, Le politiche attive in Italia dopo la grande recessione: retaggi, innovazioni e sfide per il futuro, in "Politiche Sociali, Social Policies" 3/2024, pp. 511-530, doi: 10.7389/116169
• Giannoni, P., Palumbo, M., Pandolfini, V. e Torrigiani, C. (2024), “Territorial Disparities in the Governance of Policies Promoting the School-to-Work Transition: An Analysis of the Italian Case”, Education Sciences, 14(3), articolo 260. DOI: 10.3390/educsci14030260.

Teaching methods

Course content is presented and discussed through a combination of lectures and seminar-style sessions. Short lecture-based presentations, supported by slides, alternate with discussions of readings, data and empirical cases, as well as group activities.

The teaching approach is interactive and centred on the collective discussion of questions, texts and key concepts. During the course, students will take part in exercises designed to develop their ability to read and interpret labour-market data and indicators and to analyse differences across social groups and territorial contexts.

Part of the course activities will be devoted to preparing the group project required for the final assessment. Groups will receive guidance in defining their topic and analytical question, reviewing the relevant literature, selecting empirical evidence, and organising both the presentation and the paper.

Students are expected to consult the course guide, which will be made available on the Virtuale platform, for the schedule of topics and readings assigned to each class. Completing the assigned readings is essential for the successful participation in the course.

Assessment methods

Attending students

Students are considered attending students if they participate in at least 80% of classes, corresponding to 16 out of 20 class sessions.

Assessment is based on the completion of a group project focusing on one of the topics addressed during the course. The project must analyse a specific transformation of the labour market by relating the scientific literature to data, empirical studies, or national and territorial case studies, and by discussing its main implications for public policy.

The final grade will be calculated as follows:

• in-class presentation of the group project: 35% of the final grade;

• group paper: 55% of the final grade;

• participation in course activities and in the discussion of presentations: 10% of the final grade.

The in-class presentation must introduce the selected topic, the question guiding the project, the main concepts and contributions from the literature, the sources and empirical evidence used, the results of the analysis, and the implications of the phenomenon under consideration for labour market, training, or work–life balance policies.

The presentation will be followed by a discussion with the instructor and the class. Comments and suggestions arising from the discussion may be used to revise and improve the final paper.

The presentation will be assessed on the basis of clarity, ability to summarise, command of the subject matter, quality of the materials used, and ability to answer questions and contribute to the discussion. The assessment will take into account both the overall quality of the presentation and the individual contribution and command of the content demonstrated by each group member.

The paper should be approximately 5,000–6,000 words in length, excluding the reference list, and should include:

1. an introduction defining the topic, the analytical question, and the structure of the paper;

2. a theoretical framework and a discussion of the relevant literature;

3. a description of the sources, data, materials, or cases used;

4. an analysis of the empirical evidence;

5. a critical discussion of the findings, with particular attention to social and territorial differences;

6. a discussion of the implications for public policy;

7. conclusions;

8. references.

The paper will be assessed on the basis of the clarity of the analytical question, the quality and relevance of the sources, the coherence of the overall approach, the ability to use and interpret empirical evidence, the depth of the critical discussion, and the quality of the writing.

The paper is a collective output, and all group members are responsible for its overall coherence, the accuracy of its content, and the quality of the final version.

A short statement, agreed upon by all group members, must be included at the end of the paper, indicating each member’s main contribution to the different stages of the project, such as the literature review, the collection and analysis of materials, the drafting of individual sections, the overall revision of the text, and the preparation of the presentation.

The statement of individual contributions does not imply a rigid division of tasks: each group member must be familiar with the overall approach, content, and main findings of the entire paper.

As a rule, the paper grade will be awarded to the group as a whole. However, grades may be differentiated where significant differences in individual contributions emerge, taking into account the final contribution statement, participation in the presentation, and the ability to discuss the project as a whole.

Class participation will be assessed on the basis of the consistency and quality of contributions to class discussions, preparation of the assigned readings, engagement in exercises, and the ability to formulate relevant questions, observations, and comments during the presentations given by other groups. Attendance alone, which is already required in order to qualify as an attending student, will not be assessed; the evaluation will instead focus on active and informed participation in course activities.

Non-attending students

Non-attending students are required to:

• write an individual short essay, with a maximum length of 3,000 words excluding the reference list, on one of the topics covered in the course: 50% of the final grade;

• take an oral examination on the essay topic and on the entire course programme: 50% of the final grade.

The essay topic must be agreed with the instructor at least one month before the examination date. The essay must be submitted at least one week before the examination.

The essay must analyse a specific transformation of the labour market by engaging with the scientific literature and relevant empirical evidence, and by discussing its social and territorial consequences and its main implications for public policy. For the structure of the essay, students should refer to the guidelines provided for the paper required of attending students.

The essay will be assessed on the basis of the clarity of the analytical question, the quality and relevance of the sources, the coherence of the overall approach, the ability to use and interpret empirical evidence, the depth of the critical discussion, and the quality of the writing.

Final grade descriptors

Analytical ability demonstrated only with the instructor’s support; generally accurate presentation and expression → 18–19

Ability to conduct analysis independently; adequate command of analytical tools → 20–24

Ability to conduct critical analysis; good command of the relevant terminology, tools, and specific techniques → 25–29

Ability to conduct critical analysis and establish connections across topics; full command of the relevant terminology, tools, and specific techniques, combined with strong skills in argumentation, interpretation, and critical self-reflection → 30–30 with honours

Teaching tools

Virtual platform virtuale.unibo.it, to which all students must register at the beginning of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Bozzon