BOLOGNA INSIDE Second Edition - IWF Bologna

COOPERATIVES
You will undoubtedly notice the number of businesses with the letters “Coop” or “Co” in
their names, for example, the supermarket Coop Adriatica, the construction company
Coop Ansaloni, maintenance services ManutenCoop and so on. Others, without the Coop,
like Granarolo and Unipol, represent some of the largest economic forces in Italy.
Cooperatives, a source of Emilian pride, are private companies with a unique
organizational structure. Profits are not paid out in dividends but are instead re-invested
in the cooperative. Employees have the opportunity to become shareholders, usually
following a number of years of service and an inscription quota. Many cooperatives also
publish a bilancio sociale, a statement of social responsibility. To learn more about
cooperatives, visit the website of LegaCoop, one of the national umbrella organizations,
located in Bologna: www.legacoop.bologna.it.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Positions in the public sector at the local and national level are usually reserved for EU
citizens. However, positions in select areas, such as education or medicine, are sometimes
open to non-EU citizens. Most public positions are filled by concorso (public contest).
News regarding concorsi for public sector positions are advertised in government journals
that provide a description of each position and list job requirements and rules for each
contest. Consult the supplemento ordinario (regular supplement) of the Gazzetta Ufficiale
for information about openings at the national level and the Emilia-Romagna Region’s
Bollettino Ufficiale for information about local openings, both of which are available at
newsstands and in the library. Be sure to note the published deadlines for submitting
your candidacy. Sometimes a written and/or oral test is part of the application process.
Positions are awarded according to a point system.
NON-PROFIT AND THIRD SECTOR
The non-profit, or terzo settore (third sector), is an emerging area in Italy. Although Rome
is the Italian base for most international non-governmental organizations, Bologna also
has many opportunities for non-profit work. These organizations, known as no-profit or
senza scopo di lucro (without goal of profit), are often structured as social cooperatives,
meaning they are partially funded by fees collected from soci (members). Others are
structured as fondazioni (foundations). The title ONLUS means that a non-profit has a
Every once in a while, the fact that you're
"different" and foreign can pay off. In
academic settings, we are sometimes perceived
as having an edge in research, writing, or
editing skills (especially when an employer
has worked or studied abroad). So sometimes
it's good to stress that you've had a different
background, because this background has
provided you with an expanded set of skills -
skills which Italians may not have.
Liz Kaplan
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