New State-Regions Agreement of 17 April 2025 is a turning point for training.

On 17 April 2025, the Permanent Conference for relations between the State, the Regions and the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano ratified a new comprehensive agreement on training regarding health and safety at work. This agreement, drawn up pursuant to Article 37(2) of Legislative Decree No 81/2008, represents a renewal of previous agreements, starting with the historic agreement of 21 December 2011. This is not just a technical update, but a real harmonisation of training methods, of those authorised to provide courses, checks and controls, with the aim of clarifying, digitising and strengthening the training system for the prevention of risks in the workplace.

A New Organic and Combined Plant

One of the main new features of the new agreement ismerging and reviewing previous agreements. This rationalisation responds to a need that has matured over time: make homogeneous and consistent the provisions of Legislative Decree 81/2008, often subject to fragmentation of interpretation.

Strategic objectives:

The purpose of the Agreement is to:

• Identify the duration, minimum content and modalities of the courses;
• Introduce oneCompulsory final learning test for all courses, and no longer optional;
• Implementchecks on the effectiveness of training during the performance of work;
• Strengtheningmonitoring and control of training activities, including compliance of trainers.

Reform of Training Subjects

A point of discontinuity with respect to the past concernsidentification and qualification of trainers, now divided into three categories:

1. Institutional trainers(Ministeries, INAIL, INL, Universities, regional authorities, schools, CRI, VVF, etc.);
2. Accredited entities, who must demonstrate at least three years of documented health and safety experience, subject to exceptions;
3. Other entities, such as cross-industry funds, joint bodies and comparatively more representative trade union associations.

An important novelty is the intention to create aNational Directory/List of Trainersand training structures directly issued, with minimum requirements set by a subsequent regulatory act. Pending this, the trade unions must self-certify their representativeness according to Presidential Decree 445/2000. The importance of this point of the agreement is the clarity with whichare not reconceived validcertificates issued by entities not included in those listed (such as individual professionals, non-representative employers' and trade union associations, consultancy companies, companies producing, renting or marketing personal protective equipment, work equipment, operating machines, etc.). They will henceforth have to be accredited in their region and be subject to the accreditation system in order to be able to offer their services in this area.

Modern and Multichannel Teaching

One of the most innovative elements of the agreement concerns:the methods of delivery of the courses. In addition to face-to-face training, the new system provides in detail:

• Synchronous videoconferencingwith specific requirements of platform, teachers, traceability;
• E-learning, with even more stringent technical, management and content requirements than in the past;
• Mixed mode, with a clear separation between online and face-to-face content.

In particular, the discipline of e-learning is thoroughly updated with methodological indications, documentary obligations, and specific verification criteria. The system is designed to ensureequal dignity and educational quality with respect to frontal teaching.

Focus on Learning Verification and Effectiveness

Another important new feature is the introduction ofa mandatory and formalized final check for all training courses, to be documented with minutes containing the date, place, results, and signature of the person responsible.

In addition, the agreement prescribesverifying the effectiveness of on-the-job training, during work, through concrete tools and with the aim of measuring the real impact of learning on operational safety.

New Requirements for Teachers

Teachers must meet the requirements set by the Ministerial Decree of 6 March 2013, but for some specific training skills are required. The traceability and quality of teaching is then strengthened, in line with the objectives of professionalization of training.

Renewed articulation of training paths

The new agreement regulates in detail the courses intended for:

• Workers, supervisors and managers;
• Employers performing preventive tasks (Art. 34);
• SPP managers and employees (Art. 32);
• Site safety coordinators (Art. 98);
• Operators in confined or suspected pollution environments (DPR 177/2011);
• Operators of equipment for which specific authorisation is required (Article 73(5)).

For each category, objectives, duration, minimum content, access requirements and final verification procedures are indicated. Among the innovations stands out the distinction betweengeneral training (permanent credit)especific training, with strong personalisation based on business risk assessment.

A more rigorous update system

The agreement also reformed the system ofPeriodic update, fixing its periodicity (generally five years) and theminimum duration of 4 practical hours, especially for activities in high-risk environments.

A safeguard clause for Bolzano

Noteworthy is the introduction, at the request of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, of aSafeguard clauseThis allows for the experimental adoption of alternative training methods – including remote training – in view of the territorial and linguistic specificities of the South Tyrolean context.

This represents aninteresting experiment of differentiated educational autonomy, with potential future implications for other regional realities with similar peculiarities.

Increased control and monitoring

Finally, the agreement provides for:strengthening control and monitoring mechanisms:

• Tracking of training activities;
• Verification of teaching quality;
• Obligation to keep the course file for ten years (full documentation);
• Full compliance with the GDPR for the processing of training data.

This section, together with the one dedicated to the recognition of training credits, aims to build aintegrated national systemable to guarantee quality, transparency and homogeneity throughout the territory.

Transitional and final provisions

Finally, there is no lack oftransitional provisionsfor courses already carried out under the 2011 agreement (which is recognised as having educational credit value), and clarifications on the updating requirements for persons such as the persons in charge, whose courses were ‘dated’.

Conclusion

With this agreement, the State and the Regionsa leap in qualityin the field of occupational safety training. The integration between physical and digital presence, the centrality of learning assessment, the control of training operators, and adaptability to territorial contexts make this systemflexible, rigorous and modern.

The real challenge now will bepractical implementation, in a varied national fabric and with a still leopard-stained security culture. But the regulatory and technical framework is finally clearer and more up-to-date, laying the foundations for a safer and more aware Italy of work.