INDACO surveys on training activities and intangible investments in enterprises

The project consists of two distinct surveys.

The first, INDACO-Enterprises, aims to analyse the demand and supply of training in Italian enterprises operating in the industry and services sectors (excluding healthcare and education). It will examine aspects such as the incidence, participation, access, intensity, and costs of training; the characteristics of the companies involved; the types of training activities implemented; corporate strategies for training; the skills targeted by the training activities; the obstacles encountered. Moreover, cross-cutting themes such as intergenerational knowledge transfer, digital and green transitions, and remote working will be taken into account.

The priority areas regarding lifelong learning identified by the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (MLPS) will receive particular emphasis, with a dedicated focus on digital skills and the use of continuous training to tackle the challenges brought about by the integration of artificial intelligence into the workplace.

The survey is planned for 2025 and 2026, and it includes two extensive surveys, corresponding to its the fifth and sixth editions, respectively. Additionally, as part of the sixth edition, an in-depth survey will be conducted in 2026. Both extensive surveys will involve interviews with 18,000 enterprises having at least six employees, while the in-depth survey for the sixth edition will engage 5,000 enterprises with at least ten employees, selected from those participating in the extensive surveys.

The second survey, INDACO-IAS, is scheduled for 2025. It aims to assess the extent and nature of the commitment of Italian enterprises with at least ten employees to activities that enhance their intangible assets.This includes strategic areas such as corporate training, research and development, design, technological innovation, improvement of management and production processes, and building a strong corporate reputation. These elements are crucial for strengthening the competitive capacity of enterprises. For this survey, 12,000 interviews will be conducted with enterprises selected across the national territory.

The collected data will be analysed and synthesised into detailed reports, designed to identify critical issues, emerging trends, and strategically significant topics. The objective of the reports is to provide actionable recommendations for the design and improvement of sectoral policies, offering decision-makers a robust knowledge base to address key challenges related to the multi-actor and multi-level system of continuous training, as well as to the growth and enhancement of corporate intangible assets.

Fondazione Brodolini will be responsible for designing all research tools, analysing the results from the sample surveys and drafting the reports.