On April 25th, Badajoz hosted Spain’s first-ever ECO-DIGITHON, a pioneering event organized by FPEmpresa and Innogestiona Ambiental under the umbrella of the ENNE+ (Erasmus+) European project. The event exceeded all expectations in terms of participation and results, establishing itself as a space for collaboration and innovation among Vocational Education and Training students, businesses, public administration, and educational institutions.
“We wanted to create an inspiring space to connect innovation, sustainability, and vocational training—and we have more than achieved that,” the organizers emphasized.
This initiative, co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ program, has promoted youth creativity and strengthened collaboration networks to build a more dynamic, innovative, Vocational Education and Training, aligned with the environmental and occupational challenges.
Team Rankings and Award Ceremony
After an intense day of collaborative work, the participating teams exposed innovative proposals that were assessed based on feasibility, sustainability impact, and digitalization level.
The jury’s decision was especially difficult due to the high quality of the proposals submitted in this edition of the Eco-Digithon. The evaluation panel, made up of Patricia Mora (Director of Innogestiona Ambiental), Elena Argudo (Director of FPEmpresa), Daniel Villa (Technical Advisor for Teaching at the Vocational Training Service of the General Directorate of Vocational Training, Innovation and Educational Inclusion of the Junta de Extremadura), and Carolina Romero (Project Technician at Fundecyt-PCTEX), carefully evaluated factors such as innovation, social impact, and project viability.
The jury announced its verdict virtually on April 28th, and although the competition was tight, Muévetex (IES Sierra La Calera) received the first prize thanks to an innovative digital platform designed to improve sustainable mobility in rural areas—tackling one of the region’s major connectivity challenges. The jury highlighted the project’s strong connection to real community needs, high social impact, and immediate applicability, which earned it the top spot in this edition of the Eco-Digithon. As a reward, the winning team will participate in the 9th Social Hackathon Umbria in Italy this July and will receive €1,000 in equipment and a €250 gift card for the coordinating teacher(s) and community representative.
Another three schools were also awarded for their proposals. The final clasification has been as follows:
| Rank | Team | Project | School | Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1st | Team 8 | Muévetex: Digital platform to improve access to rural transport | IES Sierra La Calera | Participation in the 9th Social Hackathon Umbria (Italy, July 2025) €1,000 in materials for the school €250 gift card for coordinating teacher(s) and community representative |
| 🥈 2nd | Team 5 | Little Big Friends: Connecting the elderly with the young | IES Francisco de Orellana | €750 in materials for the school |
| 🥉 3rd | Team 10 | Sustainable garden made with recycled materials and low water consumption | IES Javier García Téllez | €500 in materials for the school |
| 4th | Team 9 | Sustainable urban transport: Monitoring freight vehicles | IES Ágora | €300 in materials for the school |
Note: To view the remaining projects, you can do so here.
Roundtable: Dual Vocational Training as a Driver of Employability
As part of the ECO-DIGITHON program, a roundtable discussion on Dual Vocational Education and Training was held, bringing together prominent figures from public administration, the business sector, and education to discuss the challenges and opportunities of Dual VET in Extremadura. During the session, participants addressed key issues in the education sector and shared potential solutions and strategies for tackling today’s challenges.
Key Participants:
-
Pedro Antonio Pérez Durán – Director General of Vocational Training, Innovation, and Educational Inclusion, Junta de Extremadura.
-
Juan Carlos Castaño Carpintero – Training Director, Cámara de Comercio de Cáceres.
-
Pilar Apolo – Regional Coordinator for FPEmpresa in Extremadura.
-
Moderator: Patricia Mora, Director of Innogestiona Ambiental.
During the debate, the strategic role of Dual Vocational Education and Training in boosting youth employability and aligning education with real labor market needs was highlighted. Participants also presented the main updates introduced by the Ley orgánica 3/2022, which has transformed the vocational training system in Spain. The new structure is organized into five progressive levels (A to E), offering a more flexible and adaptable model. This framework enables students to move from micro-credentials to high-level specialization courses equivalent to a master’s degree, creating more personalized and relevant learning pathways tailored to professional demands.
