The Ministry of Labor, with the answer to the question no. 40/2011 of October 26 proposed byConfcommercio and Confartigianato, specified that the work apprenticeship disciplined by art. 4 of the Legislative Decree no. 167/2011 (which came into force on October 25) may be set up for a maximum of 5 years period not only by handicraft companies but also by company of every other sector for technical-professionale activities, also when different National Collective Labor Agreement are applied to the employees.