On September 19, 2025, the European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training EfVET elected in Antalya, Turkey, Carlos de Olagüe Smithson as Vice President Membership and Outreach, joining the organization’s executive committee after the EfVET Annual Conference in Fátima this October. De Olagüe is a member of the executive board of the FPEmpresa Association as international coordinator and has represented Spanish members for several years on EfVET’s committee of national representatives, of which FPEmpresa has been a member since 2018. For the Association, says De Olagüe, “this is a great opportunity to bring to the European level, in cooperation with the other Spanish EfVET members, the needs of Vocational Education and Training.”
This same meeting also served for another member of the FPEmpresa executive board, Javier Serrano Castilla, regional representative in Andalusia, to hand over the role of treasurer of EfVET to Jon Harding from the United Kingdom. After seven years as a member of this association and attending its meetings, events, and annual conferences, FPEmpresa on the one hand thanks Serrano for his efforts during his time at EfVET and, on the other, celebrates De Olagüe’s new appointment.
EfVET’s role in European Vocational Education and Training
Founded in 1991, EfVET was created with the aim of giving a voice to Vocational Education and Training when it did not have one. To achieve this, it has carried out countless projects with members from all over Europe and is still developing others today. Among them is ENNE+, in which FPEmpresa also participates, focused on eco-innovation and sustainability. Thanks to EfVET’s collaboration with NGOs and organizations in the VET sector, as well as its work to transform and advance European policies in education, this educational pathway has gained greater international recognition.
The association now brings together more than 1,500 centers, 600,000 students, and 50,000 professionals, promoting a work- and practice-based learning methodology to ensure smooth integration into the labor market, as well as digitalization through its guides and online courses. Working together, FPEmpresa and EfVET are committed to improving opportunities for students and promoting a Vocational Education and Training that is ready to face the challenges of the future.
