Continuing professional development of the early years workforce. Italian case study. In P. Oberhuemer 'Fort- und Weiterbildung frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte im europäischen Vergleich.'

The case study report is located within the framework of a comprehensive initiative in Germany called the WiFF project (Weiterbildung Frühpädagogische Fachkräfte, www.weiterbildungsinitiative.de) which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the Robert Bosch Foundation and The European Social Fund. The aim of the initiative is to improve the quality and transparency of continuing professional development provision across the country for staff working in the early childhood field, both core practitioners and support staff in early childhood centres. A broader aim is to improve the permeability between vocational and higher education systems as a whole and networking between different CPD providers.