School-Work alternance

School-Work alternance

Cultivating the future of innovation

In a competitive global context, ProdAl Scarl promotes the culture of innovation and technology transfer through educational pathways of excellence, designed to integrate young talent, companies, and Public Administration into the modern productive fabric.

Our Vision

The Italian economic system often suffers from fragmentation, territorial dualism, and a disconnect between scientific research and the market. ProdAl develops School-Work Alternance pathways (PCTO) precisely to bridge this gap, transforming young minds into Innovation Managers capable of serving as a bridge between science and production.

Our motivations stem from the desire to respond to local and regional challenges, helping students to:

  • Overcome conventional models, by stimulating flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Revitalize local products and traditions through the introduction of new skills and technologies.

Thanks to the solid expertise of the researchers from our partner Universities, we guide students through a journey that spans from the analysis of traditional transformation processes to the most advanced product and process innovations worldwide.

 

Our partnerships and agreements

Over the years, ProdAl has established numerous collaborations and agreements with Italian and international High Schools and Higher Education Institutions to foster the development of new skills and project design capabilities.

Three-Year professionalization and orientation pathway

“Masullo – Theti” Technical, Commercial and Surveying High School – Nola (NA)

This project offered students from the BIO (Chemistry, Materials, and Biotechnology) program a progressive, three-year journey within the food biotechnology sector. Through a strong synergy between theoretical and practical training, the students were guided by ProdAl researchers in a cutting-edge experience centred on process innovation, the circular economy, and entrepreneurial culture (EQF Level 4), supported by parallel orientation modules for first- and second-year classes.

The pathway developed through three logical macro-phases, integrating lectures, remote practical sessions, and intensive activities within the research laboratories:

  • The first year focused on orientation and scientific fundamentals. While the first- and second-year classes had their initial contact with research through guided tours of ProdAl’s chemical, microbiological, and pilot plant laboratories, the third-year class began the technical pathway, focusing on laboratory best practices, occupational safety (Legislative Decree 81/2008), and core analytical determinations in chemistry and microbiology.
  • The second year raised the technological standard by combining food preservation with corporate planning. Students analysed industrial layouts and experimented with innovative non-thermal technologies (such as pulsed electric fields and pulsed light) applied to case studies including milk and tomatoes. Divided into working groups, the students then drafted a fully simulated Business Plan (developing fruit juices, yogurt, and milk), managing market research, process flowcharts, packaging, and branding with remote support from the tutors.
  • The third year pushed the students toward the frontiers of circular economy and sustainability. They returned to the laboratory to manage the entire supply chain for formulating and analyzing innovative sorbets, measuring overrun, texture, and microbiological stability, before validating them through a proper sensory panel test. Finally, they extracted valuable polyphenols and antioxidants from citrus processing waste and leafy vegetables, utilizing clean technologies such as ultrasound and high-pressure homogenization.

 

In full synergy between the school and the company, the progress of the activities, attendance, and compliance with safety regulations were constantly monitored by the tutors. At the end of the cycle, the external tutor’s evaluations regarding the acquired biotechnological and managerial skills, along with the project work developed by the groups, were forwarded to the Class Council for the formal certification of skills and the allocation of school credits.

Three-Year professionalization pathway

I.S.I.S.S. “Rinaldo D’Aquino”, Montella (AV)

This project offered students from the Industrial and Artisanal Production program a progressive, three-year journey within the agri-food sector. Through active learning methodologies such as Problem Solving, the students were guided by ProdAl researchers in an experience that combined hands-on laboratory practice with entrepreneurial culture (EQF Level 4).

The pathway developed through three logical macro-phases, one for each school year:

  • The first year was dedicated to the fundamentals of quality control. After learning laboratory best practices and food hygiene and safety regulations (HACCP), students entered the ProdAl laboratories to perform basic chemical-physical and microbiological analyses on real matrices such as water and wine, concluding with the presentation of the collected microbiological data.
  • The second year raised the technological standard by exploring food preservation. The students experimented with both traditional processes and innovative non-thermal technologies (such as pulsed electric fields and high-pressure homogenization) applied to local case studies including olive oil, milk, and tomatoes. The module extended to the frontiers of functional foods and nanoencapsulation techniques.
  • The third year transformed technical expertise into managerial skills. Stepping away from their lab coats, the students tested their abilities in self-entrepreneurship by drafting a fully simulated Business Plan: from the initial concept to the marketing mix, plant and equipment selection, and economic-financial sustainability, which was ultimately presented in a pitch session.

 

In full synergy between school and company, the progress of the activities and compliance with safety regulations were constantly monitored. At the end of the cycle, the tutors’ evaluation sheets and the students’ project work were forwarded to the Class Council for the formal certification of skills and the allocation of school credits.

Work experience and research internship

European School Brussels 4

This internship project offered to the students an intensive, two-week multidisciplinary immersion into the world of applied research. Under the guidance of ProdAl researchers, the student undertook a cutting-edge educational pathway focused on biotechnology and food engineering, combining practical laboratory operations with an understanding of the organizational dynamics within a complex research structure.

The experimental and theoretical pathway was structured into two sequential macro-phases, carefully calibrated to provide a comprehensive vision of the agri-food and environmental sectors:

  • The first week focused on safety, environmental analysis, and nanotechnologies. Following an initial session dedicated to laboratory best practices and codes of conduct, the student followed the full routine protocol for the analytical (chemical and microbiological) control of swimming pool water. Subsequently, the focus shifted toward the frontiers of biotechnological research: Mariasole tested algae treatment using a high-pressure homogenization plant (evaluating conductivity and dry residue for Scanning Electron Microscopy – SEM imaging) and formulated essential oil-based emulsions, measuring their average particle size via Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS).
  • The second week integrated food quality control with the fundamentals of process engineering and university orientation. The student learned and executed chemical-physical and microbiological analysis methodologies applied to food products, focusing particularly on the study of flour products and leafy vegetables. The theoretical program then explored the primary unit operations and pilot plants of the food industry. The internship concluded with an academic orientation module dedicated to the educational offerings of the University of Salerno and the drafting of a daily report, which culminated in a final data presentation before the scientific staff.

 

The experience highlighted profiles of excellence in terms of punctuality, attitude, and professional rigor.

Training on the job 

“S. Caterina da Siena – Amendola” State Higher Education Institute – Salerno

This project offered students an intensive two-week immersion into the biotechnology and quality control sectors. Through active learning methodologies and direct training on the job experience, the students were guided by ProdAl researchers within a pathway that combined the rigor of laboratory practice with the understanding of industrial processes, operating in total safety and under the constant supervision of both school and corporate tutors (EQF Level 4).

The program developed through two logical and sequential macro-phases, structured to combine environmental and agri-food analysis with the most advanced technologies:

  • The first week was entirely dedicated to safety, laboratory best practices, and environmental analysis. Students performed chemical and microbiological controls on real water samples, before pushing forward toward the frontiers of advanced research. Specifically, they tested algae treatment using high-pressure homogenization and formulated essential oil-based emulsions, measuring their microscopic dimensions with high-precision instruments such as Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
  • The second week shifted the focus to food quality control and industrial process flows. Participants performed targeted chemical analyses on flour products and microbiological tests on leafy vegetables, learning the core unit operations of the food industry directly on the field. The final days were dedicated to university orientation, in collaboration with the University of Salerno, and to the processing of the collected data to build a final presentation.

 

In full synergy between school and company, the progress of the activities and compliance with safety regulations were constantly monitored. The project concluded with a joint evaluation: the analytical assessment sheet completed by the corporate tutor and the final project work developed by the students were forwarded to the Class Council for the formal certification of skills and the allocation of school credits.