The paper introduces the role of placement in the Initial education The rationale behind the organisation of the placement in the course of study in Education at the University of Trieste is the connection between theoretical learning and “learning by doing”. The structure of the placement consists in two tiers: the first one is based on workshops in which the professional identity and the relational competences are discussed; an interview is conducted in order to understand each student's personal attitudes towards specific sectors of the educational provision. The second tier relates to the actual placement in the service that is most suitable for each student. The mediational tool of each student’s interactions with the tutors in the service is the so called “individualised educational plan”, that is the educational contract which contains the educational goals for each student, the methodology of her/his participation in the actual activities, the reflexive notes that connect what is learned in practice and the theoretical knowledge.
