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 celebrates 500 associated centres to continue promoting vocational training
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FPEmpresa celebrates 500 associated centres to continue promoting vocational training

The Association of Vocational Training Centres FPEmpresa has surpassed this 16th February the figure of 500 associated centres from all over Spain. This figure is significant for the organisation, as it means that FPEmpresa’s objectives are being met every day.

Since the Association was set up in 2012, it has been committed to giving a leading role to VET in the education system and strengthening relations between the centres and their environment, helping to generate a greater public presence of these in society. Furthermore, the commitment between vocational training centres and companies is essential to improve the educational offer of training cycles and the pathways to integration into the labour market.

Having reached the figure of 500 associated centres, FPEmpresa continues to work to improve VET every day and to ensure its future growth, because the more centres we have, the more authority the voice of the Association will have.

FPEmpresa believes that all the players involved in VET should maintain the efforts made in recent years to raise the profile of VET and, above all, to invest in resources for it. VET centres should be a point of guidance, training and accompaniment towards the labour market.

VET as the first educational option, the greatest challenge for FPEmpresa

With the new VET Law, many of the main objectives have become a reality. A path has begun on which, if the resources invested are sustained, it could become a new VET comparable to its EU neighbours

Given the daily growth in the number of members, our network is committed to VET as the first educational option, as well as being sufficient, free, flexible and accessible to everyone. FPEmpresa also works to bring VET closer to companies and social agents. It is the future of citizens, but also the future of a healthy society and economy.

CaixaBank Dualiza and the various projects with which it promotes vocational training

Over the last 10 years, the Association has organised various projects related to vocational training thanks to the collaboration with its strategic ally, CaixaBank Dualiza. Both entities have worked together to launch noteworthy projects, such as the Convocatoria de Ayudas Dualiza, which to date has launched six different editions; and the Convocatoria de Orientación Activa, whose current edition is the fourth and whose aim is to recognise and support the guidance actions of educational centres towards VET and/or Dual VET.

In addition, every year FPEmpresa has received the support of CaixaBank Dualiza to organise the different VET Congresses in Spain, which aim to promote the VET of the future and share experiences and good practices among schools.

We would also like to thank the Group Esprinet for its cooperation, with which the collaboration agreement has been renewed to launch initiatives such as the VET Knowledge Transfer Award; Coca Cola for participating in ‘Gira Jóvenes’, its entrepreneurship and youth employability support project; the Orange Foundation, the ExE Foundation, CONIF, among others, to continue carrying out projects for and in favour of VET.

FPEmpresa is committed to Internationalisation

The Organisation is committed to Internationalisation in order to share its objectives and values with other European and international educational entities. For this reason, FPEmpresa is involved in international projects and associations, such as the Spanish Service for the Internationalisation of Education (SEPIE) and EfVET (European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training), considered to be one of the most relevant international entities working to promote the quality of VET at European level.

FPEmpresa is also a member of another educational organisation of major international importance, WFCP (World Federation Of Colleges And Polytechnics). Belonging to these entities is not only beneficial for the Association, but also “for our associated centres, which allow them to have references and support in Europe or in other parts of the world”, says the president of FPEmpresa, Luis García Domínguez.

Tenth anniversary and 8th VET Congress

Another of the Association’s notable events was the holding of the VIII VET Congress, under the slogan ‘Building the VET centre of the future’, in Donostia-San Sebastián. More than 650 teachers gathered at this meeting to analyse the future of VET in the country, a record number of attendees for FPEmpresa. At the same time, the Association took the opportunity to celebrate its tenth anniversary, promoting vocational training centres with a future.

In 2010, the FPEmpresa project was presented as an innovation project under the motivation of 83 national VET centres. Two years later it would become the Association that seeks to represent the VET centres of Spain.

To watch the video about the 10th anniversary of FPEmpresa on YouTube, click here.

Finally, we would like to thank all the members who have participated throughout this time in the Boards of Directors and the current members of the Board of Directors, who every day work for a quality and innovative VET and for it to become the first educational option in the country.