In many OECD countries, three-year degrees are sufficient to equip students with high level of skills and employability results are good. Italy is an important manufacturing country and needs the technical skills that can be acquired through participation in shorter tertiary professional programmes. However, these programmes were introduced only recently and account for a tiny share of overall students. For instance, ITSs (ISCED 5) were created in 2011-12 and, as mentioned above, account for less than 1% of all students enrolled in tertiary education for the first time.