FPEmpresa supports the internationalisation of Higher Education in Indonesia at ICCCM event
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FPEmpresa supports the internationalisation of Higher Education in Indonesia at ICCCM event

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated this thursday 26th of october in the seminary on ‘International Cooperation and Internationalization of Higher Education’, organized by the International Centre for Cultural Communication of Malaysia (ICCCM) and held at the installations of the PGRI Yogyakarta University (UPY) in Indonesia. Representing FPEmpresa was Carlos de Olagüe, FPEmpresa’s Madrid and International Coordinator, as well as the director of IES Pedro de Tolosa.

The aim of this meeting was to foster collaboration between educational institutions and organisations to promote the internationalisation of Higher Education in Indonesia through the development of projects, as well as to share good practices of educational centres.

Celebration of ITEA’s new office in Indonesia

The event, which was inaugurated by Ir Paiman, rector of the UPY, highlighted the need to continue fostering relations between social and educational agents in order to establish various academic programmes that guarantee a good impact and benefits for students at an international level.

For his part, Carlos de Olagüe explained the work of FPEmpresa during his speech at the round table on ‘International Cooperation: challenges, problems and solutions’, highlighting its strength in creating a network between educational centres to promote vocational training in Spain. “There are more than 600 VET schools in the Association, which means that we continue to be a great reference point for change and progress in the VET system”, said de Olagüe.

Finally, the attendees celebrated the inauguration of the new office of the International Transnational Education Association (ITEA) in Indonesia. ITEA is a platform supported by ICCCM to promote higher education exchanges between countries around the world through the organisation of educational, cultural and scientific events.

“It is undoubtedly very important to be present at meetings of this nature, especially for FPEmpresa, as it is a great opportunity to continue transmitting the activity and values of the association beyond our borders”, concluded the FPEmpresa’s Madrid and International Coordinator.

About ICCCM

The International Centre for Cultural Communication Malaysia (ICCCM) was first established in Malaysia in 2009 to meet the needs of international cultural exchange programmes and to assume its role as a “well-developed” centre. In this way, the organisation has been described as the pioneer of internationalisation on the Asian continent. In addition, ICCCM maintains partnerships with various international organisations, governmental and private agencies, companies and academic institutes around the world to develop numerous educational programmes.

FPEmpresa reaches 600 associated centres to continue working for quality vocational training
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FPEmpresa reaches 600 associated centres to continue working for quality vocational training

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa brings together since this week more than 600 associated centres. The associated centres are distributed throughout all the autonomous communities, which makes the Association the largest meeting point for working together in the field of Vocational Training.

Since the birth of the Association, its evolution has focused on boosting synergies between VET centres and other entities such as public administrations, companies and foundations. It is worth remembering that the origin of the Association is to be found in an innovation project of the Ministry of Education. At the end of that project, in 2012, the centres involved decided to continue working as a network.   From there, FPEmpresa was born and since then, they have been working to create a collaborative space where they can always work in favour of Vocational Education and Training.

“In FPEmpresa our centres join forces to develop new projects. It is an excellent meeting point to participate in relevant VET calls, such as those of the Ministry of Education and VET, CaixaBank Dualiza, among others”, said Luis García Domínguez, president of FPEmpresa.

On the other hand, the Association has also become the voice that represents vocational training centres before different social agents. “If each centre were to express its perspective on VET individually to the Public Administrations, it would most likely remain in the background. Therefore, it is very important to join forces and for our requests and suggestions to go further and further,” said García Domínguez.

Likewise, FPEmpresa continues to be committed to internationalisation. Being 600 centres helps the organisation’s voice to be heard more attentively in Europe, both through projects and through its involvement in international organisations, such as EfVET, WFCP and SEPIE.

“Without a doubt, belonging to FPEmpresa means belonging to the largest network of VET centres that can exist in our country. Our collaborative network aims to continue to be the catalyst for change and progress in the VET system,” said the president of FPEmpresa.

Major changes in the internal organisation chart of FPEmpresa

Ensuring that the Association grows in membership every year is an important task in order to continue to promote VET, but it is also important that it evolves internally. Thus, FPEmpresa has increased the number of members on the Board of Directors, increasing the number of deputy secretaries and ensuring that there is one member for each autonomous community. For the evolution of the Association, the dedication of all the members of the Board is key, as without their dedication and effort, many of the initiatives that are currently being carried out would not be viable.

The growth of FPEmpresa has also been supported by important collaborators. One of the most important, without a doubt, has been the support received from CaixaBank Dualiza. The joint work of both entities has resulted in the implementation of important initiatives for Vocational Training.

FPEmpresa and Esprinet Group present the II VET Knowledge Transfer Awards
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FPEmpresa and Esprinet Group present the II VET Knowledge Transfer Awards

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa and Esprinet Group have delivered this June of 29th the II Awards for Knowledge Transfer in VET at the headquarters of Esprinet Group in Madrid. An event in which IES Javier García Téllez, IES Federica Montseny and IES Lázaro Cárdenas have collected their respective awards of the II Edition of the contest.

Representing FPEmpresa was the vice-president-treasurer of the Association, Tomás Alonso, who congratulated the participants and thanked the Esprinet Group for its collaboration.

“Initiatives of this kind help us to continue growing and to improve our commitment to vocational training, especially for those qualifications where the presence of women is scarce”, said Tomás Alonso.

Also among the attendees were Javier Bilbao-Goyoaga, president of V-Valley Advanced Solutions; Begoña Huerta, HR and Quality Director at V-Valley Advanced Solutions; Silvia Sánchez, head of Marketing and Communication at the Esprinet Group, among others.

“I congratulate you for your hard work in getting this far and for visiting us on this special occasion. We are very happy to collaborate with FPEmpresa to launch initiatives like this, as it is very important, together with young people, to improve the quality of technological education and their preparation for the labour market”, said Bilbao-Goyoaga.

A recognition that helps to develop their professional skills

The winning schools thanked the organisers for all the work they have done. For her part, Marta Barroso, teacher and head of the ‘LlezzHands’ project, which won first prize, said that “this honour is a recognition, above all, for the students. In technology degrees it is difficult to find a greater number of female students, so I am grateful for the commitment and effort of my students”.

At the end of the meeting, all the attendees were able to visit the new facilities of the Esprinet Group, where they were able to see each of the departments of the entity, as well as the different work spaces that the employees have.

Collaboration between FPEmpresa and Esprinet Group

The VET Knowledge Transfer Awards are the result of the collaboration between FPEmpresa and the Esprinet Group signed in 2021 to make female talent visible in those professional families of VET where the presence of women is testimonial.

After the success of the first edition in 2022 with 300 participants, both entities have renewed the collaboration agreement to launch the second edition of the competition, which has attracted more than 450 participants and a total of 78 initiatives.

The final of the Gira Project is held, in which 28 FPEmpresa partner centres have participated
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The final of the Gira Project is held, in which 28 FPEmpresa partner centres have participated

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has attended the celebration of the final gala of the XI edition of GIRA Jóvenes Coca-Cola at the Coca-Cola offices in Madrid. A new delivery of the project of entrepreneurship and support for youth employability that, on this occasion, has been carried out with the participation of FPEmpresa and its 28 associated centres. In total, 673 young people from 23 cities and towns throughout Spain participated in the 2023 edition.

A gala that brought together the 8 finalist groups from intermediate and advanced vocational training centres from all over Spain, where an expert jury evaluated their initiatives and selected the winners of the final round.

Among those attending the competition were Yolanda González, Deputy Director General of Vocational Training at the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, and Carmen Gómez-Acebo, Director of Sustainability at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Iberia, who highlighted “the work of the members of all the participating teams”.

“Our goal is that you really believe that you are true agents of change within the environments in which you are, because you have the talent and creativity to be so. We are also very proud to give you everything we can in your long personal and professional journey,” Gómez-Acebo told the young people.

“This final is the culmination of the incredible work of the teachers who have been involved in this project and, of course, the involvement of the students who have participated in a very enriching experience,” said Elena Argudo, director of Communication and Projects at FPEmpresa.

IES Pedro Jiménez Montoya and IES Ciudad Escolar, winners of the 11th edition of the competition

The 8 schools that have positioned themselves as finalists in the competition were the following: in the rural category were IES Valle de Camargo (Cantabria), IES María Ibars (Denia), EFA Oretana (Castilla-La Mancha) and IES Pedro Jiménez Montoya (Andalusia). The urban category was won by Politeknika Ikastegia Txorierri (Basque Country), Institut d’hoteleria i Turisme de Barcelona EHTB (Barcelona), IES Ciudad Escolar (Madrid) and IES Pino Montano (Andalusia).

Finally, the IES Pedro Jiménez Montoya, together with the students of the Higher Degree in Sociocultural and Tourism Animation, has been proclaimed the winner of the rural category with ‘Regala memoria’, a challenge based on the reintegration of the elderly of Baza (Andalusia) and of those people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias who are in residential homes. To achieve this, the use of recycled computer material is proposed to help improve the cognitive training of these people.

For its part, the IES Ciudad Escolar, with the students of the Higher Degree in Web Applications Development, has won the urban area with ‘In search of the SDGs through the time machine’. This initiative seeks to raise awareness and teach about the SDGs to children at risk of social exclusion through a summer camp themed on the History of Humanity and its relationship with the SDGs.

Gira Jóvenes as an improvement in youth employability

GIRA Jóvenes is a training and employability programme that, since 2012, has been promoting the personal and professional development of young people aged 16 to 26 throughout Spain. Its main purpose is to help them prepare for the world of work.

For this reason, the entity has counted on the collaboration of FPEmpresa, whose associated centres have been, exclusively, the participants of the contest in this edition. “From the Association we continue to work to be the meeting point between companies that want to commit to VET and the associated VET centres, GIRA Jóvenes is a clear example of this”, added Argudo.

This call is divided into different phases, from the recruitment of participants and various training sessions to the development of projects and the final selection of the winners. So far, more than 7,200 young people, 350,000 hours of training and 790 paid professional experiences have been achieved with Gira Jóvenes.

FPEmpresa announces the new members of the Permanent Board at the Ordinary General Assembly 2023
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FPEmpresa announces the new members of the Permanent Board at the Ordinary General Assembly 2023

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa organised the Ordinary General Assembly 2023 this Thursday, 15 June, at the Ilunion facilities in Madrid. The meeting was held in a hybrid format, so that members were able to attend in person and follow it via streaming. The Association’s Permanent Secretary thanked those present and the 90 people who followed the event online for their attendance.

The Assembly was opened by Joaquín Leizaola, General Manager of Ilunion Formación, who expressed his gratitude for hosting this event. “We are very grateful to be part of FPEmpresa and, of course, we are delighted to introduce you to Ilunion, a special entity that belongs to the ONCE social group, and where we also present our honours to VET”, said Leizaola.

New additions to the Permanent Board

After watching the corporate video of Ilunion, the president of FPEmpresa, Luis García, intervened to start the Extraordinary Assembly where the modifications of the statutes were contemplated and gave way to the respective votes. “Today we have more than 560 centres associated to FPEmpresa, which means an increase in the demands on FPEmpresa and that it has the task of continuing to improve. This is why we have decided to increase the number of members of the Permanent Board, proposing 2 vice-secretaries”, said Luis.

In this way, Luis Jesús, FPEmpresa’s coordinating member in Andalusia, and María José Fernández, the Association’s coordinating member in Asturias, will become the new members of the Permanent Board, giving support as vice-secretaries.

Following the vote at the Extraordinary Assembly, the members voted in favour, which led to the approval of the proposed changes. At the Ordinary Assembly, the secretary of FPEmpresa, Sergio San Martín, presented and explained every detail of the FPEmpresa Activities Report. This report is a document that allows the members of FPEmpresa to know in depth all the activities carried out by the Association.

Likewise, the presentation of activities shows a constant increase in the number of initiatives in which FPEmpresa is present, highlighting among all of them the close collaboration with CaixaBank Dualiza. Together with its strategic ally, several key actions have been carried out, such as the VET Congress, the Dualiza Call, the Active Guidance Call and the EmpleaFP job bank.

Likewise, the activities document shows the Association’s constant commitment to internationalisation, joining different associations and international projects in order to share and extend its objectives and fundamental values.

FPEcompany committed to the SDGs

Afterwards, the Assembly continued with the explanation of the new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the Closing 2022, the Budget 2023, the Congress document and the Action Plan 2023/2024. During the presentation of the action plan, Sergio San Martín explained the objectives and actions that FPEmpresa will carry out in order to continue to become the benchmark VET Association. Among them, FPEmpresa’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stands out. “We must ask ourselves how we want our activities to impact the SDGs. Obviously, we must continue to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, so we have identified 8 goals that will be related to each of our strategic lines,” said the secretary of the Association.

Likewise, FPEmpresa will continue to work to be the meeting point for all VET actors and to become a reference for companies and public institutions, in order to promote projects that provide added value. Furthermore, the aim is to promote the culture of innovation through agreements with technological entities. Finally, the focus will be on STEAM-related initiatives.

To conclude the event, the Permanent Board announced the approval of all the documents and proposals of the Ordinary Assembly.

FPEmpresa attends Cedefop and OECD meeting on ‘Apprentices and the Digital Transition 2023’
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FPEmpresa attends Cedefop and OECD meeting on ‘Apprentices and the Digital Transition 2023’

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa attended on 15 and 16 June the meeting on ‘Learning and Digital Transition’ in Thessaloniki (Greece) organised by Cedefop and OECD. Carlos de Olagüe, EfVET’s representative in Spain, participated as a speaker on behalf of the Association. The event brought together policy makers, social partners, practitioners and researchers from different countries to explore the links between apprenticeships and the digital transition, as well as their implications for policy making.

The agenda of the event covered topics such as: the demand for digital skills, digital tools for schools and businesses, as well as learning about international policy and practice.

Digitalisation as a new form of learning

Carlos de Olagüe, together with other European figures, took part in the presentation on the ‘Perspectives of the protagonists regarding digitalisation’ to discuss the role of learning in the digital transition and the challenges and opportunities that this entails for VET centres.

Olagüe said that digitalisation applied in educational centres in Spain is working very well. “We have the case of Iberdrola’s Digital Community, which is available to all FPEmpresa members”, stressed the EfVET representative in Spain.

Likewise, the FPEmpresa’s international coordinator highlighted the functioning of the Immersive Classroom of IES Luis Vives (Madrid), as well as the Association’s collaboration with IndesIA. “This agreement with IndesIA allows companies, such as Microsoft, to transfer their experience with Artificial Intelligence to vocational training centres”, he said.

“It is undoubtedly very important to attend meetings of this nature, especially for FPEmpresa. It is a great opportunity to transmit all the activity of the Association, as well as to show the work that is being done for VET in Spain”, concluded FPEmpresa’s Madrid and international coordinator.

PRALINE meets in Helsinki to learn about Finnish VET and its new education reform
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PRALINE meets in Helsinki to learn about Finnish VET and its new education reform

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has participated in the seventh PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks) that has been held on 22nd and 23rd May in Helsinki (Finland). On this occasion, the AMKE organisation was in charge of organising the conference, which was held at the Taitotalo educational centre.

The conference focused on the educational system of the Finnish country, as well as the functioning of Vocational Training. The different speakers explained the different training options available to students, as well as the possibility of personalising their study itineraries.

In addition, the theme of VET as a solution to unemployment was addressed, with Annukka Jamisto, Director of Services and Adwoa Brewun, Business Coordinator at Omnia, explaining possible solutions to help immigrants in the country to train and get a job.

Among the participants who also shared their perspectives on the Finnish education system and the commitment to work-based learning were Marika Koski, teacher at Sataedu; Matti Isokallio, Director of the Education and Training Consortium at Sataedu; Minna Sandberg, International Coordinator at Spesia, a special VET institution; Saara Ikkelä, Senior Specialist at the Ministry of Education and Culture and Keijo Honkonen, Deputy Director of the Taitotalo Centre.

One of the main themes of the conference was to continue to work on the fact that young people and adults can learn together, as half of the VET students are between 20 and 60 years old. In this way, both age groups can complement each other in terms of knowledge and professional and personal experience.

After having concluded the presentation of the days, as it was done in the six previous ALMPs, the PRALINE partners have met to explain their points of view and to motivate a debate to find new ideas on the subject among them.

Finally, the European partners will meet at the eighth ALMP in Croatia next October and will be organised by the Hrvatsko Andragosko Drustvo (HAD) association.

PRALINE is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to strengthen and boost international networks of adult education providers already in operation by learning about good practice.

More than half a thousand VET teachers promote the new collaboration between schools and companies at the 9th FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza Congress
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More than half a thousand VET teachers promote the new collaboration between schools and companies at the 9th FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza Congress

More than 550 teachers discussed the new collaboration between VET centres and companies that will take place after the implementation of the VET Law at the 9th FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza VET Congress. Under the slogan “Working together. The new role of the company in VET” and during the 4th and 5th of May, the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela hosted the debates related to the challenges that society will face for the adequate development of the new regulations, the role that business and trade union organisations will develop to facilitate the training commitment of the company and the relationship with the centres, and the role of the company tutor in dual training.

The Regional Minister of Culture, Education and Universities of the Xunta de Galicia, Román Rodríguez, stressed that companies will have “to trust even more in vocational training” with the introduction of the new law that dualises all new training, despite the fact that a large part of the work has already been done. As he pointed out, “companies rely on vocational training to find professional resources to expand their workforces”, as reflected in the data: “85% of students who take vocational training in Galicia are placed immediately, and if we are talking about dual training, the percentage is 100%”.

Among the companies that took part in the Congress were Iberdrola, Nestlé España and Grupo Pescanova, which underlined the responsibility that companies are taking on with the new regulations.

Silvia Carballo, from HR at Nestlé España, pointed out that this new regulation poses to the company “whether you want to be a mere spectator or integrate me from the beginning, that we all start hand in hand with a common objective to provide the best profiles, which adapt to the needs we have”.

For Patricia Rodríguez, from the Grupo Pescanova, the new law is an opportunity to increase collaboration with educational centres and to continue improving.

New success in participation

The organisers FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza, in collaboration with the Xunta de Galicia and the participation of Fundación Orange, have celebrated the good reception of the congress, which each year brings together more than half a thousand attendees from all over Spain.

The president of FPEmpresa, Luis García Domínguez, gave a positive assessment of the results of the event and recalled that “the 9th VET Congress was intended to focus on the new role of the company in the regulatory framework of the new VET Law”.

In this way, García stated that “the reflections that have taken place at this meeting have helped us to determine which are the critical elements for improving the system. One of them is related to improving orientation towards vocational training and the desire to find ways or places for companies and centres to meet”.

The director of CaixaBank Dualiza, Paula San Luis, expressed her satisfaction with the smooth running of the congress, which has already become a benchmark for VET professionals and is a meeting point for teachers, but also a stage for the main educational vanguards, and a bridge to companies, which are increasingly represented in this forum”.

This success is the result, said San Luis, “of the efforts of teachers from all over Spain, of our ally FPEmpresa, without whom this would not be possible, and of the Xunta and the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, which not only facilitate but also support each of the actions initiated by CaixaBank Dualiza for the prestige of vocational training”.

9th VET Congress, a meeting point for VET centres, companies and business organisations

More than 20 speakers from different sectors, from academia to business, took part in the congress, with the aim of highlighting the value of leading companies in vocational training and the creation of tools that provide knowledge to educational centres and national and international students. Among the various speakers were Román Rodríguez, Regional Minister of Culture, Education, Vocational Training and Universities of the Xunta de Galicia; Eugenia Pérez, Director General of Vocational Training of the Xunta de Galicia; Ángeles Cárdaba, Advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Vocational Training; Mónica Moso, head of the CaixaBank Dualiza VET Knowledge and Innovation Centre; and, finally, companies such as Iberdrola, with the head of Training at Iberdrola Spain, Roberto Mediavilla; IndesIA, with the expert in the GCTio area of Telefónica, Daniel Guzmán, Grupo Pescanova, Nestlé España, among others.

FPEmpresa also presented the awards for the 6th Call for Dualiza Grants and the 3rd edition of the FPEmpresa Awards, with Juan Carlos Lauder, former director of CaixaBank Dualiza, being recognised in the category of Vocational Training Career Award; and Javier Olleros in the category of the Award for the Company committed to Vocational Training.

Also, within the framework of this congress, several visits were made to VET centres in Galicia, such as CIFP Compostela, CIFP Politécnico de Santiago, CIFP Someso, CIFP de Imaxe y Son, CIFP Paseo das Pontes, CIFP Universidade Laboral Culleredo, CIFP Ánxel Casal-Monte Alto and CGIFP Eduardo Barreiros.

The Congress has been broadcasted live through the official YouTube channels of FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza and can be viewed again in the following links:

If you wish to consult the programme of the 9th VET Congress, click here.

FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza organise the 9th Vocational Training Congress focused on the new role of companies in vocational training
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FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza organise the 9th Vocational Training Congress focused on the new role of companies in vocational training

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa and CaixaBank Dualiza are organising the 9th VET Congress under the slogan ‘Working together. The new role of business in VET’. The Congress will be held on 4 and 5 May at the Cidade da Cultura de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela. In addition, the event has the collaboration of the Xunta de Galicia and the sponsorship of the Fundación Orange.

With the new VET law, which will be implemented in 2024, all training will be dual, which will lead to students spending more hours training in companies. The productive sectors will be able to acquire a new commitment to collaboration with vocational training and learning outcomes. For this reason, this new edition aims to become the meeting point for VET centres, companies and business organisations to highlight the new collaboration that will take place between centres and companies.

The president of FPEmpresa, Luis García, assures that this Congress “has the challenge of joining forces between companies and centres to promote vocational training. With the new VET Law, VET centres need companies to help them to increase the number of hours in training positions and to take co-responsibility for the learning outcomes of students. Therefore, this Congress aims to become a great space for reflection and collaboration”.

For her part, the Director of CaixaBank Dualiza, Paula San Luis, expressed her confidence that the congress “will once again become one of the main forums in our country to bring together VET teachers and provide them with a space to learn about experiences, exchange opinions and establish alliances that will allow Vocational Training to continue to advance. In this endeavour, teachers will continue to have the firm support of CaixaBank Dualiza”.

In addition, San Luis said that “the success of previous editions among the educational community will be repeated this year, with the added bonus that more and more companies will participate in the event, facilitating the relationship between the different realities of our VET, which is the main objective with which Dualiza was born and continues to work.

A student body that is better trained and prepared for their future employment

After the inauguration and the institutional presentation, the presentations will include the Secretary General of Vocational Training, Clara Sanz; the Director General of Vocational Training of the Xunta de Galicia, Eugenia Pérez; and the Director of Education and Training at CEOE, Juan Carlos Tejeda, to address key issues on the role of business in vocational training.

There will also be a block of research presentations with the participation of entities such as the Dualiza Observatory, Orkestra, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), among others, and there will be visits to educational centres in Galicia, such as CIFP Compostela, CIFP Politécnico de Santiago, CIFP Someso, CIFP de Imaxe y Son, CIFP Paseo das Pontes, CIFP Universidade Laboral Culleredo, CIFP Ánxel Casal-Monte Alto and CGIFP Eduardo Barreiros.

The IX VET Congress will address and discuss issues such as the role of the company tutor in dual training. Also, aspects such as the role that business and trade union organisations will play in the daily life of the centres through the social councils or how we can generate an innovation model for SMEs with the collaboration of the VET centres.

Anyone interested in Vocational Education and Training can participate by registering at the following link.

For more information about the congress or more details about the programme, please click here.

FPEmpresa and Esprinet Group renew agreement to reward the best proposals for knowledge transfer in VET
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FPEmpresa and Esprinet Group renew agreement to reward the best proposals for knowledge transfer in VET

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa, which currently represents more than 500 VET centres in Spain, and the Esprinet Group have renewed for the second consecutive year their collaboration agreement to carry out necessary actions in the field of VET.

This agreement was made for the first time in February 2022 and this year it returns with the aim of rewarding the best proposals for knowledge transfer in VET. In addition, among its objectives is the desire to promote female talent in training cycles where they have little visibility.

The president of FPEmpresa, Luis García Domínguez, states that “for the Association, renewing this collaboration agreement means maintaining our commitment that means that vocational training centres are allied with companies in our productive sectors. Likewise, this initiative allows us to continue our commitment to talent in all areas of VET expressed by women”.

Since FPEmpresa was created in 2012, it has been working to promote and foster vocational training through the exchange of experiences and good practices. In this way, the Association aims to become one of the agents that strengthen the VET system in the country.

“With the renewal of this agreement we reaffirm our commitment to promote key skills and abilities to train the professionals of the future. In particular, by giving visibility to female talent in those professional families of VET where its presence is testimonial”, says Javier Bilbao-Goyoaga, president of V-Valley Advanced Solutions (Spain & Portugal).

Following the renewal of this collaboration agreement, FPEmpresa and the Esprinet Group are launching entries for the 2nd edition of the Knowledge Transfer Awards in the field of VET. This call for entries is aimed at any public, subsidised or private educational centre associated with FPEmpresa. The registration period will be open from 13 February until 24 February and can be registered through this link.

FPEmpresa

FPEmpresa is a non-profit association that brings together public, private and subsidised Vocational Training Centres from all over Spain. In the same line, it contributes to create a network of centres able to share experiences, projects that want to develop and promote the Vocational Training System of this country.

FPEmpresa aims to give prominence to Vocational Training in the education system and to strengthen relations between the centres and their environment. The commitment between Vocational Training Centres and companies makes it possible to improve the educational offer for vocational training students and the pathways to integration into the labour market.

In 2019, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training awarded the Plaque of Honour of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise to the Association for promoting VET through collaboration between centres, the exchange of experiences and good practices.

Esprinet

Esprinet is an enabler of the technological ecosystem that, with a strong vocation for environmental and social sustainability, promotes technological democracy. With a

comprehensive offering of consulting services, IT security, services and products for sale or rental through an extensive network of professional resellers, Esprinet is the leading Group in Southern Europe (Italy, Spain and Portugal), the fourth largest in Europe and among the top ten worldwide.