Associated centers of FPEmpresa to promote VET mobilities to Canada
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Associated centers of FPEmpresa to promote VET mobilities to Canada

The VET School Association FPEmpresa has had a meeting with a directors’ delegation of center belonging to the Colleges & Institutes of Canada (CICan) in the Canadian Embassy in Spain. An encounter celebrated the last Monday, 13th June, where associated centers to FPEmpresa and VET Canadian centers have participated with the aim to know the Vocational Education and Training in both countries. In that way, this first physical meeting between Spain and Canada has allowed to develop strategic alliances in relation to VET. In addition, Tomás Alonso, vice president treasurer of the Association, has been the person in charge of present FPEmpresa to the Canadian directors.

The Association and CICan have realized this encounter with the purpose to open borders between both countries and create new experiences to the VET students. A meeting where the members and the Canadian centers have created new bonds through a B2B Session. The participants have thought in future mobilities between both delegations.

By other hand, the FPEmpresa’s vice president has provide the IES Francisco Tomás y Valiente center to the visitant delegation. There they have known the Spanish educative system and the projects of the center closer. Also, the Canadian people has participated in a virtual reality demonstration in the high school IES Clara del Rey.

FPEmpresa put faith in the internationalization and the strong confidence in the supranational organizations as EfVET, on a European level, and WFCP (World Federation Of Colleges And Polytechnics), on a global level, belonging to both as member.

FPEmpresa’s Regular General Assembly 2022 Choose a new Board of Directors
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FPEmpresa’s Regular General Assembly 2022 Choose a new Board of Directors

The VET School Association FPEmpresa has celebrated the last Tuesday, 7th June, the General Assembly 2022. It has chosen a new board of directors with the presence in all the Spanish autonomous communities and cities. A meeting that has taken place in the events hall of IES Hotel Escuela from Community of Madrid, associated center of the Association. In addition, two years later of celebrate the General Assembly in a virtual way, the event has been hybrid. The members have been able to access physical or virtually. In this way, the Permanent Board has shown gratitude to the associated centers for “the attendance, support and confidence”.

From General Assembly 2021, the Association has grown a 32% in number of members, stablishing it in 413 associated centers at present. An increase of 100 members that have decided to join FPEmpresa. Sergio San Martín, secretary of the Association, has admitted that “is an important number and a success of everyone in favor of the Vocational Education and Training”.

CaixaBank Dualiza will continue to work with FPEmpresa

Juan Carlos Lauder, head of CaixaBank Dualiza, has participated in the Assembly with the purpose of the strategic collaboration that has with the Association. “We keep the desire to work with FPEmpresa. We have done many things and we have started new activities in the last years. We will have to adapt our activity for the new VET Law, but we will get a better VET. I hope you could assess the cooperation we have and, also, what we are going to have for more time”, has shared Lauder with the members.

In addition, the event has continued with the Permanent Board explaining the Management Report, the 2021 Accounts, the 2022 Budget, the Congressional document, the new Strategic Plan, and the renovated Board of Directors. Introductions which have been followed by the votes of the associated centers. The minutes of the results has announced with more than a 98% that the electors have approved the totality of the shared documents, just like the new Board of FPEmpresa.

PRALINE goes to Dublin to address Language Learning for Migrant Learners
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PRALINE goes to Dublin to address Language Learning for Migrant Learners

FPEmpresa Vet Schools Association has participated in the fourth Peer Learning Activity (PLA) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) that has taken place in Dublin the 10th and 11th of May. During the meetings, Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) has explained to the European members how the Further Education and Training (FET) of Ireland is.

Presentations that have focused on the Language Learning for Migrants Learners; theme over the different speakers have presented solutions through Good Practices. In that way, the speakers have exposed a general perspective over the situation of the country. Apart, the actual Ukrainian crisis has been underlined, because Ireland receives a great number of Ukrainian migrants to the English speaker country.

The PLA has shared with the assistants the presentations of the following people: Lorraine Downey, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Development Officer at City of Dublin Education and Training Board; Michael Donohoe, Lead Researcher Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB); Fergus Craddock, FET Strategy and Policy Development Officer at ETBI; and Roisin Doherty, Director FET Active Inclusion -SOLAS.

Fourth PLA contents

After fourth PLA of PRALINE, one of them online, the members of the project have responded to questions about the learned practices in the last meetings. Like this, the group has settled on what points must be strengthen in the EU’s educative policies. Furthermore, this practice actions have allowed to the members have a more global vision of PRALINE, just like work the team dynamics.

In addition, should be highlighted the fifth and the last Good Practice of the Ireland PLA that has made a Design Thinking Workshop by groups. Then, the different organizations have debated which are their direct and non-direct stakeholders. All this with the purpose to identify challenges, potential solutions, and the VET state-of-art.

Finally, the European members have announced the date of the 5th PLA that will take place in Estonia the next month of October. It will be organized by Estonian Association For Advancement Of Vocational Education.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project with the aim to boost the international networks of adult education that are in progress through good practices summary.

A Brazilian VET Schools delegation brings Spanish Vocational Education and Training closer
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A Brazilian VET Schools delegation brings Spanish Vocational Education and Training closer

The last Tuesday, 28th of March, FPEmpresa VET Schools Association gathered in Madrid with a Brazilian VET Schools delegation formed by Instituto Federal de Alagoas (IFAL) and Instituto Federal de Pernambuco (IFPE) belonging to Conselho Nacional das Instituições da Rede Federal de Educação Profissional, Científica e Tecnológica (Conif) to explain the function of the Association. This meeting is the first real mobility since FPEmpresa and Embajada de España en Brasil encourage the international cooperation between centers. What’s more is delimit on the aim of the Association for internationalize the VET. In this way, the Brazilian centers have visited the high schools IES Capacitación Agraria and IES Hotel Escuela, two VET centers associates to FPEmpresa.

The encounter, that has initiated in the center IES Capacitación Agraria, has allowed to the Brazilian delegation presents itself and publish the reality over how is organized the VET in Brazil. Also, the meeting has permitted to the visitors get close to the professional agrarian and environment families. Furthermore, they have known the most innovative projects that has the center as the vertical garden and the compost system. Finally, the session has concluded with a guided tour of the facilities of IES Hotel Escuela, where it has the hotel, the restaurant, the kitchen, and the travel agency.

Carol Bello, responsible of the international relations of IFPE, has rated as “very pleasant” the experience to know the function of the Vocational Education and Training in Spain. “After the visit, we have some ideas about new collaborations in the future. In addition, the way of work in the centers is impressive and we have found models that could be applied in Brazil”, add.

On the other hand, the visits, that has taken place in Madrid, open a new way to FPEmpresa and Conif. Both organizations want to boost this type of encounters that provide a knowledge’s exchange between the VET of different countries. In this way, they have involved to leverage the virtual tools that save the distance.

The actual meeting has taken place after the virtual reunion of the last 17th of March, where FPEmpresa was presented virtually to the centers that form Conif. Apart, FPEmpresa explained in detail how works the VET in Spain. Additionally, all the actions answer to the objective of the Association of helping to the associated centers in its internationalization. FPEmpresa facilitates that the members approach to the VET of those countries that are beyond the European Union as Brazil, too.

Since 2021, the Association and the Embassy of Spain in Brazil intervene in different activities to give the opportunity of cooperating between Spanish and Brazilian centers in different educative projects. Among them are the eTwinning projects that connect the centers of both countries in a virtual way.

PRALINE gathered all his partners in Lisbon
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PRALINE gathered all his partners in Lisbon

FPEmpresa Vet Schools Association has participated in the third PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) that has taken place in Lisbon. On this occasion, the Associaçäo Nacional de Escolas Profissionais de Portugal (ANESPO) has organized the meeting in the School of Commerce of Lisbon (SCL). PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project with the aim to boost the transnational networks of adult education through good practices summary.

After the second PLA celebrated in Valencia and directed by FPEmpresa the last month of October 2021, Portugal has received the European partners of PRALINE by the 14th and 15th of March. The members have had the opportunity to know better the Vocational Education and Training of the Lusitanian country. In this context, the executive director of ANESPO, Luis Costa, have explain that “the PLA in Lisbon has accomplished with his objectives. Apart, it has allowed to the associations know the function of the education inside the Portuguese classrooms”.

Costa has rated the encounter as “very important to ANESPO. It has been a great exchange of experiences about how the VET is been working in different places. The reality is not the same in all the European countries. Each nation treats the VET according to her precedents. For example, we had one of the worst educational systems in Portugal for many years. It was for financed issues”.

This third meeting has had the participation of some figures that have shared good practices of the Portugal’s VET with the PRALINE’s partners. Attended Teresa Damásio, CEO of ENSINUS Group; Catarina Esménio, SCL General Board Adviser; Alexandra Teixeira, Director of the Adult Qualification Department of the National Agency for Qualifications and Vocational Education; and Andreia Lopes, Regional Director of Human Resources at LIDL Portugal, among others.

Finally, Costa has concluded that “in the next encounters we will tackle the problem of attract the people with a low qualification. By this way, we will help them to obtain a quality education to access to new employees”.

The partners have announced the date of the next PLA at the final of the meeting. It will take place in Ireland the next month of May and it will be organized by the Irish partner of PRALINE, Education and Training Board Ireland (ETBI).

FPEmpresa and Group Esprinet launch the I Edition of VET Knowledge’s Transfer Awards
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FPEmpresa and Group Esprinet launch the I Edition of VET Knowledge’s Transfer Awards

FPEmpresa VET Schools Association and Group Esprinet launch the I edition of VET Knowledge’s Transfer Awards which the aim of bring the women’s talent to the fore in those VET professional families where is limited. The call is directed towards the 400 VET schools associated to FPEmpresa. The inscription started the 8th of March and will be ending the next 29th of March.

The call came up from an agreement between FPEmpresa and Group Esprinet that was signed the last month of February for which both organizations stablish attract women’s talent towards VET studies where there are a low women’s representation. Furthermore, this initiative pretends encourage aptitudes and abilities in the students to make competitive professionals, just like promote technical skills learning.

The first edition of awards has a solid agreement with the 2030 Agenda that set up objectives to achieve for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). By this way, the call proposes to the participants to create a technological solution that accomplish one of the SDG and promote the gender equality.

The three better purposes will be rewarded with 5.500, 4.000 and 2.500 euros, respectively. The registered teams will know all the details of the challenge in an online session the next 26th of April. Apart, since that day, they will have four days to formulate their purposes. The winners will be announced the next 25th of May.

All the information about this I edition of VET Knowledge’s Transfer Awards can be consulted on the contest rules.

European project PRALINE will join the next March 2022
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European project PRALINE will join the next March 2022

The European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), developed in the EUproVET network. FPEmpresa VET Schools Association is member of this project with eleven European educational entities that will have a presencial meeting the next march 2022. After the event in Valencia the last October 2021, the members established the days 19th and 20th of January 2022 as the date to realize the next meeting in Lisboa. However, the project require continuous adjustments due to Covid-19 restrictions. Even so, the partners keep working to move proposals to European politician and national governments of each organization. That’s why the associates of PRALINE continue the project through online sessions. One of those was the last 20th of January. The objective of the last one was strengthen the European relations between countries and share the educational aspects behind the borders of each European nation.

PRALINE is a project approved by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency presented under Key action 3: Support to policy development and cooperation. In this way, the initiative starts his journey the last month of January 2021 with the objective of strengthen the transnational networks of adult education through good practices summary.

After a few months of visual contact, in October of 2021 PRALINE realized his first presencial activity and the second PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project. This was in Valencia and was organized by FPEmpresa, a success for the organization. The goal was realize the next reunion in January 2022. But, on account of Ómicron, variant of Covid-19, the meeting has been delayed. In order to keep working, the associates have been reunited as online way to explain the key points of the plan, all of them talk about promote the learning of adult people and to send the proposals to the politician figures.

If conditions allow it, the next conference will be 15th and 16th of March 2022. Like this, the members decided the date on the online meeting where all the associates were connected. Apart, they talked about the coronavirus situation in the participant countries.

20 January – Online session of PRALINE

However, PRALINE work doesn’t stop and conducts a new online session where continues gathering information about bad and good practices to transfer to the politician figures of each country. With the proposal of get this aim, all the members tell how is the educational system inside their borders.

Furthermore, the associates of PRALINE share a questionnaire between the members that serves as summary to know each organization. Apart, this function to know how are the practices developed in each country. As result, the plan promote make a network of knowledge between organizations. In particular, the objective is to pick up information about European VET and prepare statistics, comparisons and establish values and good practices of each country. As well, PRALINE works in creating a newsletter and a podcast to share strengths and mistakes of educational system.

If conditions permit, the next 15th and 16th of March FPEmpresa will be in Lisbon for a special meeting with the members of PRALINE. In Portugal, the project will research how is his VET and, if it’s possible, will know some centers where this take place. Also, this reunion will be an opportunity so that associates can gather together, share new practices and make progress in the compilation of data to recommend to the politician figures. In short, the European project PRALINE continue working to propel and consolidate the international network of adult education.

Access to PRALINE’s web for more information

FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza release V Call of Ayudas Dualiza
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FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza release V Call of Ayudas Dualiza

FPEmpresa VET Schools Association and CaixaBank Dualiza release V Call of Ayudas Dualiza for the boost of Vocational Education and Training (VET). At the same time, the Announcement will share 400.000 euros between the selected projects. The objective is helping those jobs that are trying to promote the teamwork among the schools and companies in alternation training framework.

The president of FPEmpresa, Luis García, supports that the Ayudas Dualiza’s Call represents making progress in the opportunities for the VET schools and business improving the VET and the productivity of the companies”. FPEmpresa has the purpose of contribute to the VET creating new synergies and networked projects that consolidate a model based on knowledge, innovation and talent.

Juan Carlos Lauder, director of CaixaBank Dualiza, express his satisfaction because “the Call still carry on by the hand of CaixaBank, the greatest financial entity of the country, demonstrating the full confidence that we have in the project, as in our VET as essential base to construct our future”.

One more year is expected from the Call to be a reflect of our society. FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza support the education to deal with the pandemic. That´s why the call wants to develop new challenges. There are different ways to participate: Company and/or Education Involved Entity, Investigation and Innovation and Web Projects Development.

Some of the initiatives will have a double utility. To improve the education is fundamental, as well as to contribute to great global challenges, like achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative has faith in keep improving the education, gender equality and developing non contaminating and affordable energies. VET shows its strengths through these projects.

This Call is not restricted to VET dual projects, it is actually open to all of the VET existent forms (dual, presential or distance). It is also available for the different formative levels: Basic VET, Medium Grade, Superior Grade and Specialization Courses.

The projects can be presented by public or private VET Spanish schools, with other companies and assistant entities, too. They will have to register in www.caixabankdualiza.es. The deadline starts this Wednesday January 19th and ends on Tuesday February 15th. After this period, an Evaluation Committee will study all the presented projects. Each project could receive a maximum of 10.000 euros. In the case of participating on the Web Projects Development modality the project could obtain a maximum of 25.000 euros.

The V Call of Ayudas Dualiza by FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza trusts in those initiatives that did not let education get stopped. The education has confronted one of the biggest challenges and, through innovation, the talent of our teachers needs to be rewarded.

UPT2S PROJECT: Upgrading Trainers in Dual Vocational System
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UPT2S PROJECT: Upgrading Trainers in Dual Vocational System

Since 2019 EFA La Malvesia– associated centre of FPEmpresa VET Schools Association – leads the Erasmus+ KA2 for VET project called “Upgrading Trainers in Dual Vocational System”.

When it comes to youth unemployment and job insecurity we can see that Europe is having some problems, being more highlighted in the south of Europe. In this scenario, the VET DUAL SYSTEM and specially the role of the trainer in the company are considered really significant resources to solve this tragic problem for the future of the European youth.

The VET students spend many hours working with their trainers in the companies. Therefore, they must be a real and effective influence for their trainees to guarantee the success of the internships. This will benefit then as they will enrich their soft and professional skills required by the Labour Market.

Although the willingness to collaborate is usually excellent, there is still a lack of professionalization of the competences of the trainers which would help to achieve a real experience of high quality.

Obviously, there are multiple reasons for these gaps, such as: the role of the trainer is not legally regulated in all European countries or, surprisingly, it is not considered as an educational agent. In addition, the access to updated and relevant information is complicated due to the lack of centralized access to it.

In the light of the questions mentioned above, the UPT2S project was launched in December 2019 in Spain and its main objective is the achieve the professionalization of the role of trainers in the Dual Training System. The transformation of a company’s employee into a pedagogical trainer who is a fix and real link between companies and educational institutions and which should be facilitated with the created resources/tools.

The project goal is to obtain three intellectual outputs:

  • Implementation of an online course for trainers (25 hours).
  • The creation of an Evaluation App to assess the different learning and skills levels acquired and monitoring the progress of the trainee in real time.
  • A guideline based on the best practices focused on the role of the trainer.

Due to Covid-19, important activities had to be postponed. Needless to say, the partnership did not intend to give up their project . Therefore, they continued to move forward via on-line, showing their resilience and ability to adapt to the current situation.

Nonetheless, at the end of the month of September 2021, a group of 20 people from the project partner countries: Spain (EFA La Malvesia), Estonia (Järvamaa Kutsehariduskeskus), France (MFR de Bretagne), Croatia (Srednja Skola Bedekovcina), Germany (DEULA Nienburg) met in Nienburg to check how the project was going on, its development and to set new goals.

This training activity was based on an intensive testing of the pedagogical outcomes that the partnership had developed during this phase of the project carried out by invited international experts. These resources have been an Online Course for trainers involved in VET Dual System and an Evaluation and Communication APP that allows monitoring in real time the progress of the trainee in the company during their internship period.

It should be noted that the evaluation of the resources used were well received by the participants: VET teachers, Trainers, Educational and Labour Administration Representatives. These members analysed and tested their performance, highlighting the added value was added to the project. It was also mentioned that it can become a tool that can be used by the trainer in order to upgrade their professional skills and at the same improve the quality of evaluation and monitoring of the trainees.

The project partners are currently working on the development of the third objective: A guide of best practices in this field, which allows the trainer to become a real educational agent.

 

For more details on the project and its ongoing developments please visit: project website.

https://upt2sproject.com/

Facebook page @UPT2SProject

FPEmpresa carries out consultative work in the European Project for the Improvement of the Quality of Dual VET in Spain
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FPEmpresa carries out consultative work in the European Project for the Improvement of the Quality of Dual VET in Spain

The vice-president and treasurer of the FPEmpresa VET Schools Association, Tomás Alonso, attended on the 9th of December the closing ceremony of the European Project for the Improvement of the Quality of Dual VET in Spain, in which the Association has participated carrying out consultative work as one of the key social agents in this educational area.

During the event, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Education and Training has presented the publication titled 102 Good Practices of Dual VET, a document that aims to serve as an example and inspiration for all the actors involved in this training field.

“This compilation of good practices and their dissemination and exchange among all the interested parties represents, without a doubt, one of the fundamental pillars on which the improvement of Vocational Education and Training is based”, Alonso highlights.

After the inauguration by Nathalie Berger, the Director of Support for Reform in the Member States (REFORM) of the European Commission, a round table was held to exchange good practices in Dual VET implemented in different Spanish Autonomous Regions. Finally, it was the Spanish General Secretary for Vocational Education and Training, Clara Sanz, who gave the closing speech and took the opportunity to share with the attendees some of the most relevant points of the new piece of Spanish legislation on VET.

The project, promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Vocational Education and Training, has received technical support and funding from the European Commission (DG REFORM), through the Support Program for Structural Reforms, as well as technical assistance from the Bertelsmann Foundation. For more information about it, visit the following link (in Spanish).