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

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).

The FPEmpresa VET Schools Association will be present at the Annual General Assembly of EfVET (European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training), which is going to be held today, October 28, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. (CEST), via virtual platform for the second consecutive year.

EfVET, an organisation of which FPEmpresa is a member, is one of the institutions with the greatest international relevance in the field of Vocational Education and Training and its mission is to defend and enrich VET, through transnational cooperation and the creation of a strong pan-European network of institutions working towards a common goal.

The purpose of EfVET is clear: to promote quality and innovation in Vocational Education and Training throughout Europe, in order to develop fruitful mechanisms for cooperation and mutual learning and to guarantee an agile exchange of good practices between all parties involved. Furthermore, this organisation plays a decisive role when it comes to influencing European policies related to Vocational Education and Training.

At the Assembly, various internal issues of the organisation will be discussed, such as the presentation and approval of the activity report and financial report for last year’s financial year; the presentation of EfVET’s strategic plan for the period 2022-2026; and the presentation of the EfVET History Book.

The FPEmpresa VET Schools Association has been the organisation in charge of hosting the celebration of the second PLA (Peer Learning Activity) of the European project PRALINE (Promoting Adult Learning in Networks), which took place at the beginning of October in the city of Valencia.

The FPEmpresa’s Project Manager, Elena Argudo, highlights: “In this project, we strengthen collaboration between organisations similar to FPEmpresa from 9 different countries.” “It has been a very fruitful gathering to see first-hand how lifelong learning is being developed in other countries,” she adds. Argudo also points out that this activity will be very useful for the creation of a solid network of contacts that will allow the development of new projects.

“This has been the first face-to-face activity carried out since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it has been very special for all the participants”, she concludes.

This second learning session counted on the participation of the different European partners of the project, as well as some other guests who shared different good practices that are being developed in the field of Vocational Education and Training. Among other guests, the training technician of the VET Department of the Valencian Community, Robert Crespo; the professor of the CIFP Mislata of Valencia, Santiago Rodrigo; the professor of the Colegio Santiago Apóstol, Sandro De Gregorio; or the associate professor at the University of Zagreb, Tihomir Žiljak.

In addition, attendees had the opportunity to enjoy different activities in the city that allowed them to experience the Spanish culture.

The ultimate objective of the PRALINE project is to strengthen the international networks of adult education providers that are already in operation, through peer learning, counselling and capacity building.

The FPEmpresa VET Schools Association together with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Spain complete these days in Florence the first edition of the SCoopConSS contest (Social Cooperative Contest for Secondary Schools) with the participation of the Spanish delegation in the international final. This final has been part of the extensive program of the National Festival of Civil Economy, a wide-ranging festival in Italy, attended by personalities from all fields related to social economy, that took place in the emblematic Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

“At FPEmpresa, we work daily to promote projects that provide added value to our associated centers”, the FPEmpresa’s Project Manager, Elena Argudo, highlights. “In this case, SCoopConSS responds to the commitment that VET has towards the Sustainable Development Goals,” she adds.

Argudo also highlights that it has been an innovative project that has given all the students the opportunity to approach a model of entrepreneurship such as cooperativism. Regarding the final objective of this project, she underlines: “The final phase of the project has been very enriching for everyone; participating in the National Festival of Civil Economy in Florence is an experience that surely none of the students who have reached the final will forget”. “We hope to be able to repeat future editions of this contest and to expand the number of countries that compete in it,” Argudo concludes.

The final phase of this project counted on the participation of teams from schools from 5 different countries. These teams had previously won their respective finals in the national competitions. In the end, the first prize of SCoopConSS has been awarded to the Greek team, from the Fryganiotis Secondary School, with its ergaZWmai Cooperative project; a proposal focused on responding to the social needs of the local community.

More info on SCoopConSS:

The Spanish delegation leaves for the SCoopConSS final in Florence

The winners of SCoopConSS national phase: “After having carried out this project, we are certain that we would like to be entrepreneurs”

The EFA La Malvesía will represent Spain in the SCoopConSS final in Florence

SCoopConSS: students design their proposals for cooperatives in the final stage of the project

The EFA La Malvesía team, winner of the national phase of SCoopConSS (Social Cooperative Contest for Secondary Schools), leaves today for Florence to present their proposal for a social cooperative at the international final of this contest, which will take place tomorrow, Friday September 24, and September 25 at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.

The Spanish students will present their business idea to those attending the Civil Economy Festival, one of the most important entrepreneurship and social economy events held in Italy. The event will be attended by great personalities and experts, among which are the Minister of Equal Opportunities and Family, Elena Bonetti, the Minister of Youth Policies, Fabiana Dodane and the Minister of Justice and Social Policy, Andrea Orlando, among others.

The Project Manager of FPEmpresa VET Schools Association, Elena Argudo, highlights: “Participating in the Civil Economy Festival in Florence presenting the winning idea in the Spanish phase of SCoopConSS competition is a unique opportunity for these VET students”. “It is the reward for the great work they have done throughout the academic year”, she emphasises.

Over the last few months, the boys and girls of the EFA La Malvesía have worked with great effort to prepare their presentation, which they will have to present to the members of the jury and to the rest of the participating countries.

The programme of their trip to Florence, which will last until next Sunday, will be full of complementary activities, allowing the members of the EFA La Malvesía team to learn about the good practices that are already being developed in the field of Civil Economy, as well as to enjoy cultural events in this Italian city.

The SCoopConSS project, in which seven organisations from five southern European countries have participated, aims at creating a pool of resources for teachers in the field of social entrepreneurship. It is co-funded by the European Union within the framework of the Horizon2020 funds and has been organised in Spain by FPEmpresa and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Spain.

The FPEmpresa VET Schools Association and the Embassy of Spain in Brazil, more specifically its Education Office, give Spanish and Brazilian VET centres the opportunity to collaborate in different educational projects. This initiative is part of the objective set by FPEmpresa of promoting international cooperation between associated centres and other centres in other parts of the world.

Elena Argudo, FPEmpresa’s Project Manager, highlights: “Stimulating the international relations of Spanish centres is one of the objectives of FPEmpresa. Facilitating this networking seems essential to us, so that the centres can see what is being done in the field of VET in other countries. Furthermore, in this case, Brazil is a strategic country, as it has a very powerful Vocational Education and Training system. It is significant to see that in the Worldskills contest, Brazilian VET students often reach the top positions”.

Brazil, a benchmark in the world in terms of Vocational Education and Training, will be the first country with which cooperative relations between centres are established, but there will be more. “This first collaborative action opens a potential line of work with the Education Offices of the Spanish Embassies in the world, through which to foster this type of initiatives” Argudo adds.

After the agreement reached by FPEmpresa and the Embassy of Spain in Brazil, work began last year to put the participating centres in contact. Thus, there are three Spanish VET centres that are already assigned to their Brazilian project partners, all belonging to the Federal Institute of Paraná (IFPR): the CIFP Ciudad de Béjar with the Telêmaco Borba campus; the CIPFP La Costera with that of Jacarezinho; and the Goierri Eskola with Campo Largo.

At the moment, these are all eTwinning projects, although it is expected that other real mobility projects may be developed in the future.

Cristina Sanz Godos, Nathassa Gil Podgórska, Pau Cerveró Campos and Pedro Mas Campos, under the coordination of their teacher Efraim Vendrell Galdon, are the members of the winning team of the national phase of the European competition SCoopConSS (Social Cooperative Contest for Secondary Schools), organised in Spain by the FPEmpresa VET Schools Association and the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Spain (CCIS).

With their EDUNATURE project, they have won the first prize in the national competition and have been given the opportunity to travel to Florence next September to represent Spain before the other participating countries: Croatia, Greece, Italy and Portugal.

“At the beginning, we decided to participate out of curiosity, because the teacher suggested this project to us and we said, well, let’s see how it goes; later, we did some research and we liked it more and more, because we realised that we were learning a lot ”, Nathassa highlights; an opinion shared by her teammates.

When they were asked what they liked the most about carrying out this project, Nathassa emphasized that she really liked the researching and self-learning part; Cristina points out that she has been very surprised and has found the social media and the website development very interesting; Pau, on his part, highlights that he did not expect that in such small, unpopulated towns, so many things could be done, so many different activities; lastly, Pedro is very satisfied with the teamwork and with the fact that, despite the difficulties encountered, the project has finally got off the ground.

The teacher, Efraim, also wants to emphasize that what he was most surprised about the development of this project was the great involvement of all the students. “It is very difficult to carry out a project with 100% remote work, going online at late hours because they were carrying out their respective work placement modules. I am very proud of how they have performed and that they have overcome every obstacle with great effort. The teamwork has been spectacular and I am very happy that they have received this reward ”, he highlights.

SCoopConSS is a project aimed at promoting social entrepreneurship among young people and when they were asked if they would like or if they would consider starting a business in the future, they expressed their unanimous opinion: “We do not know when, but, after having carried out this project from scratch, we are certain that we would like to be entrepreneurs”.

“We are quite nervous”, the team members let out a soft giggle when asked about their next trip to Florence to present their proposal to the international jury. “The use of the English language will be a challenge, but we have several surprises in store for the presentation,” Efraim concludes.

In line with the objective of improving the quality of internships in the educational field of Vocational Training, the FPEmpresa VET Schools Association becomes one of the active members of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships («EAfA »), after the commitment application form sent to the organization has been approved.

The European Alliance for Apprenticeships brings together government institutions and key actors in society with the aim of strengthening the quality, provision and overall image of apprenticeships across Europe, while promoting apprentices’ mobility. The achievement of these two objectives is promoted through national commitments and voluntary commitments.

In July 2020, the European Commission launched the renewed EAfA as a key element of the youth employment support package. This strengthened alliance requires, and will require, new commitments for digital and green apprenticeships, by targeting economic sectors that will be at the forefront of the transition to a greener Europe.

Spain presented its national commitment to the Alliance in 2019 and currently, the EAfA has a total of 38 voluntary commitments from Spain.

The profile of FPEmpresa as a member of this Alliance can be found at the following link.

#ApprenEU