The existence of a highly skilled workforce is one of the key advantages for anyone wishing to invest in Bologna. Centuries of technical and industrial tradition and a highly developed education system have contributed to building up human capital.
7 out of 10 people in the territory of Bologna are currently employed or looking for work: the population’s activity rate is 74.6%, well above the national average of 62.7%. Bologna’s workforce is highly productive: added value per employee, to the tune of €65,000, has grown by 14% between 2000 and 2005.
The ‘creative class’ (architects, engineers, lawyers, businessmen, managers, designers, artists…) accounts for over 30% of the workforce.
Thanks to an efficient education system, Bologna ranks among the top cities internationally for child schooling. The metropolitan area boasts 83 secondary institutes, both public and private, the western world’s oldest university (Alma Mater Studiorum), six foreign universities and a wide range of professional training opportunities.
Foremost among the numerous secondary technical institutes in the area of Bologna is the Aldini Valeriani Technical Industrial Institute, which was founded in 1878 and has consistently produced highly skilled workers and business-people for the mechanical sector ever since.
The University of Bologna, which was founded in 1088 C.E., has over 92,000 students, including no less than 7,148 foreign students. The university offers 233 degree courses, 85 master’s and 106 advanced vocational training courses. In 2006, almost 16,000 degrees were conferred, of which 4,138 in technical-scientific subjects.
Bologna also hosts branches of the Johns Hopkins University, CaliforniaUniversity, Brown University, ChinaCollege, Dickinson College, the Spanish College and a number of international secondary institutes.
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