Federazione Centro Nazionale Operesalesian e Formazione Aggiornament O Professionale (Italy) 

CNOS-FAP Federation, National Centre of Salesian Institutions – Vocational Training and Updating, is an Italian association founded on December 9th, 1977. It coordinates the Italian Salesian VET centres who provide a public service in vocational guidance, initial, higher and continuous vocational education and training, following the educational methodology of St. John Bosco. It is a non-profit organization, representing in Italy the Salesians’ commitment towards the delivering of VET services and programs, particularly addressed to marginalized youth.

Salesian Institutions are in 133 Countries around the world; as VET providers they started their activities in 1870 and are currently active in 108 Countries, managing about 1845 technical and educational schools and VET centres addressed to more than 1.215.000 beneficiaries, numbering them among the eldest, long-lasting and widest network of training providers of the world. At national level, The CNOS-FAP Federation operates in 16 Italian Regions with 62 Centres, coordinated by the National Office, active in VET field mainly through:

  • Providing vocational guidance and counselling services for youth and adults.
  • Planning and delivering courses and modules in different fields, in the settings of initial and higher Vocational Education and Training, and of adult education.
  • Designing and implementing continuous vocational training paths tailored on the needs of industries and of actors of the private sector, building up partnerships with them at international level (among the others, agreements and MoUs have been signed by CNOS-FAP with ENI, BOSCH, IVECO, SCHNEIDER Electric, SIEMENS, DMG Italia, and FIAT FGA in Italy, Spain, Brasil, Poland, Argentina, Uruguay and India).

Nowadays, CNOS-FAP Federation is fully equipped and is available to enable vocational training for youth and adults in many sectors, with particular regard to the following areas:

  • Industrial engineering: machine tool operators (CNC), industrial mechanics, welding, carpentry, etc.
  • Civil and Industrial electrical and automation systems: plumbing, masonry, air conditioning and ventilation, civil electrician, maintenance and automation, etc.
  • Basic and advanced information technology
  • Company secretary and desk work
  • Graphic Design & Multimedia
  • Hotel and Hospitality
  • Car Mechanics
  • Energy

CNOS-FAP Federation adopts the quality system ISO 9001:2015 and is certified by Quality Austria with the International certificate of the network IQNet for the quality of its management services, and of the design and development of continuous training activities. In 2018 the Vocational Training Activity took place through 1,581 courses, 26,606 students and 822,322 hours of training, including Initial, Higher and Continuous Training, Employment Services (SAL – CNOS-FAP Job Service Offices) and Orientation, provided by a staff of over 1600 employees. CNOS-FAP Federation, in line with its own training proposal, operates

  • at European level: is member of the network of the Salesian Institutions working in the field of vocational guidance and training, coordinated by the Association DBI – Don Bosco International based in Brussels, to carry out awareness-raising activities, advocacy and network building in Europe;
  • at national level: it has a National Office which primarily carries out promotion and coordination tasks;
  • at regional and local level: it is present in 16 Italian Regions with 15 Regional Delegations, whose objective is to assure the promotion of the Salesian vocational training offer, the coordination of vocational training activities in their respective Regions and the representation of the Federation at regional level. The Delegations operate in 64 Centres called CFP – Vocational Education and Training Centres – located throughout Italy.