Apprenticeship Contracts in Rome: Contribution Relief, Types, and How to Do It

In a nutshell

The apprenticeship contract (contratto di apprendistato) is the most cost-effective way to take on a young employee in Italy. You pay reduced INPS (Italy's social-security agency — pensions, unemployment, family benefits) contributions — or even zero if you have fewer than 10 employees — in exchange for a real commitment: training the worker and teaching them the trade. It is a permanent (open-ended) employment contract, but one that starts with a legally regulated training phase.

At a glance

Cost	Free to draw up. Employer INPS contributions: 11.61% (vs ~30% for standard contracts). For businesses with up to 9 employees: 0% for the first 3 years.
Duration	Minimum 6 months, up to 3 years (5 years for artisans in specific sectors).
Where in Rome	Centri per l'Impiego (CPI — public employment offices), INPS, Regione Lazio for external training. UNILAV notification submitted online.
Documents	Individual Training Plan (Piano Formativo Individuale — PFI), UNILAV notification, written contract, INPS and INAIL (Italy's workplace-injury insurance institute) registration.

The three types of apprenticeship

D.Lgs 81/2015 (arts. 41–47) defines three distinct forms, each with its own requirements and incentives.

Type 1 — For a vocational qualification or diploma: aimed at young people aged 15 to 25. The goal is to earn a IeFP vocational qualification (3 years) or a vocational diploma (4 years) at a training institution accredited by Regione Lazio. The employer's INPS rate drops to 5%, with an exemption from the NASpI contribution and from IRAP (Italy's regional production tax) on the apprentice's pay.

Type 2 — Professional/trade apprenticeship: the most widely used form, applicable in retail, craft trades, industry, and services. Apprentice age: 18–29 (or 17 if they already hold a qualification). Maximum duration of 3 years, or 5 years for artisans in specific sectors such as goldsmithing and restoration. Requires 120 hours of cross-cutting training over 3 years — funded by Regione Lazio, so free for the employer — plus technical training delivered in-house. The employer's INPS rate is 11.61%; for businesses with up to 9 employees it falls to 0% for the first 3 years (Legge 296/2006 art. 1 c. 773).

Type 3 — Higher education and research (HTR): for apprentices aged 18–29 who are pursuing a degree, a master's, a PhD, an ITS Academy diploma, or access to a regulated profession (e.g. accountant, lawyer). Duration is defined by an agreement between the employer, the university, and Regione Lazio. Employer's INPS rate: 5%.

What you actually save: the contribution comparison

Under a standard open-ended employment contract, you as an employer pay around 28–30% of the gross salary in INPS contributions. With a Type 2 professional apprenticeship:

Situation	Employer INPS rate
Standard employment contract	~28–30%
Type 2 apprenticeship (standard)	11.61%
Type 2 — business with up to 9 employees (first 3 years)	0%
Type 1 or Type 3 apprenticeship	5%

The apprentice always pays a fixed rate of 5.84% regardless of contract type.

When the training period ends, if you keep the worker on without dismissing them, you continue to benefit from the reduced 11.61% rate for a further 12 months. On top of this, the apprentice's salary is fully deductible for IRAP purposes (Legge 244/2007) and you don't pay the NASpI unemployment-insurance surcharge of 1.61%.

You can also stack the apprenticeship with other incentives (e.g. the Bonus Sud for hiring in southern Italy, or the contribution exemption for hiring women), within the limits set by the rules in force at the time.

What you need before hiring

To enter into an apprenticeship contract you must meet several specific conditions:

• Apply a CCNL (national collective labour agreement) that covers apprenticeships — virtually all major national agreements do
• Appoint a company tutor with skills appropriate to the apprentice's role
• Guarantee the training set out in the Individual Training Plan (PFI)
• Respect the headcount limits: if you have 0–9 employees, you may have 1 apprentice per qualified employee; from 10 employees upward, 3 apprentices for every 2 qualified employees
• If you have more than 50 employees, at least 20% of apprentices trained in the previous 36 months must have been retained

The apprentice must be aged 15–29 (exact range varies by type), must not have already completed an apprenticeship for the same qualification, and — if a non-EU foreigner — must hold a residence permit valid for employed work.

Step by step

1. Check which CCNL applies to your sector and how it regulates apprenticeships.
2. Draft the Individual Training Plan (PFI) — you can attach it to the contract within 30 days of the start date.
3. Sign the contract in written form (mandatory; without a written contract the apprenticeship is void).
4. Submit the UNILAV notification to the competent Centro per l'Impiego (CPI — public employment office) no later than the day before the start date (in Rome via the SARE platform of Regione Lazio).
5. Arrange the pre-employment medical check with the company occupational-health doctor (at your cost, approximately €50–100).
6. Provide the mandatory health-and-safety training (D.Lgs 81/2008).
7. Enrol in the Regione Lazio cross-cutting training at an accredited provider (free of charge).
8. Pay monthly contributions at the reduced rate using the apprentice-specific contribution code.
9. Assess training progress every year and formally evaluate the apprentice.
10. At the end of the training period, decide whether to confirm or terminate (with the CCNL notice period; during the training phase you may terminate without cause).

If neither party gives notice at the end, the contract automatically converts into a standard open-ended employment relationship.

Where to get help in Rome

For assistance drawing up the contract, contact the Centri per l'Impiego:

• CPI Roma Cinecittà — Via Tuscolana 1129, tel. 06 67668301
• CPI Roma Tiburtino — Via Tiburtina 1163, tel. 06 67668501
• CPI Roma Primavalle — Via Pietro Maffi 51, tel. 06 67668701
• Full list: Regione Lazio — Centri per l'Impiego

For contribution codes and INPS payments: INPS Direzione Regionale Lazio, Via Ciro il Grande 21, Roma. INPS freephone: 803 164 (landline) / 06 164 164 (mobile).

Employers' associations offer sector-specific support: Confartigianato Roma (Via di Porta Maggiore 9), Confcommercio Roma (Via Properzio 5). Patronato offices (ACLI, INCA-CGIL, ITAL-UIL) provide free advice for both employers and workers.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Skipping the training. If training is absent or inadequate, the Ispettorato del Lavoro (labour inspectorate) can reclassify the contract as a standard employment contract from day one — triggering back-payment of full contributions (~30%) plus a fine of up to €1,500 per apprentice.
2. Under-grading beyond the legal limit. You are allowed to place the apprentice up to 2 pay grades below their target qualification level. Beyond that threshold the contract becomes a standard one and you lose all the incentives.
3. Missing the UNILAV deadline. The notification must be submitted by the day before the start of work. Late submission costs €100–500 per notification.

Special cases

Maternity leave. Compulsory maternity leave suspends the apprenticeship contract. The duration is extended by the same period, so the full training is completed.

Seasonal workers. In the tourism sector it is possible to enter into fixed-term apprenticeship contracts for seasonal activities.

Non-EU foreign apprentice. The apprenticeship contract is treated the same as any employed-work contract for purposes of renewing the residence permit.

Combining with other incentives. Apprenticeships are compatible with other incentives such as the Bonus Sud or the contribution exemption for hiring women, within the applicable regulatory limits.

Official sources

• Ministry of Labour — Apprenticeship
• INPS — Apprenticeship fact sheet
• Normattiva — D.Lgs 81/2015
• National Labour Inspectorate — Apprenticeship
• ANPAL — Apprenticeship
• Regione Lazio — Work and apprenticeship

Legal references: D.Lgs 81/2015 artt. 41-47, Legge 296/2006 art. 1 c. 773, Legge 205/2017, DM 12/10/2015, Accordo Stato-Regioni 20/02/2014, Legge 244/2007.