LanguageCert is pleased to announce it has become a fully recognised Language qualification for PON-funded courses in Italy.

PON (Programma Operativo Nazionale) is a European Union-funded investment programme that aims to strengthen the Italian education system and promote equitable access to high-quality education throughout the country. PON is a €100 million annual project and there are no limits to the number of groups any school in an English speaking country can have.

PON courses are three weeks long and consist of 60 hours of English lessons. Since a recent shakeup of the terms of the programme, the preferred option is to now have a recognised, externally marked, four skills language exam. The exam can be taken either in the hosting centre or the candidate’s home centre.

LanguageCert fulfills all the requirements of PON and offers the hosting schools the flexibility to deliver exams on-demand within the 3-week period, as it only requires 10 days’ notice for exam bookings. This places LanguageCert in an ideal position to serve the needs of students for these types of short courses.

LanguageCert International ESOL is a series of English language qualifications that assess all four language skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) at all levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. LanguageCert International ESOL is recognised in many countries internationally, including Italy.

All state high schools in Italy can participate in this initiative with a group of 15 students each. PON sponsors 30,000 Italian students with a budget of €3,100 each, plus an extra €200 per student for certification, to take a B2-level language course and four skills examination, provided they are already at B1 level, which is the minimum requirement for participation in the new PON programme. More than 80% of students are expected to take English language classes while in an English speaking country that is part of Erasmus, i.e. UK, Ireland, Malta or Cyprus.