- 2017Implementation
- 2018Implementation
- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
Description
Since September 2017, several collaboration agreements between the State Public Employment Service (Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal, SEPE), the education ministry, and 11 Autonomous Regions have been approved. The agreements allow for implementing work plans of 25 national reference centres (Centros de Referencia Nacional, CRNs), of the 52 planned. CRNs are public institutions specialised in the different professional branches, in charge of carrying out innovation and experimentation initiatives in the area of vocational training, as well as teacher and tutor training. They are in charge of piloting innovative training actions, analysing labour market and training needs, assessing professional certificates, promoting good practices in VET, and establishing collaboration agreements involving businesses, universities, and R&D agents. National reference centres provide training to different learner profiles, including employed and unemployed workers.
During 2019, new national reference centres (CRN in Spanish) have been added. Some are totally new and others already exist but are modifying their nature, making a total of 37 national reference centres in operation. Almost all sector branches have a reference centre.
Several of the social councils of the national reference centres have been set up and/or held meetings to take stock the actions of their work plans carried out and plan for 2020. These social councils (consejo social in Spanish) are planning and participation bodies of the productive sector in each centre, made up of representatives of the State and regional authorities, and the most representative business and union organisations.
Within their work plans, the following actions carried out in 2019 can be highlighted:
- drawing up of two professional certificates in e-learning modality to be yet piloted: Organisation and projects of photovoltaic solar installations and Installation and furnishing projects;
- 22 guides have been prepared for the delivery and assessment of professional certificates, which, together with the previous 100 available, can be found on SEPE's website. They provide a useful tool for trainers, with methodological strategies, procedures, methods and didactic resources to develop teaching/learning and assessment processes in the objective of supporting the monitoring and control of the delivery of professional certificate programmes;
- 36 courses were carried out, with a total of 396 teachers/trainers passing, to meet methodological, technological and technical skills of teachers and trainers providing vocational training, as part of the CRN role in teacher and trainer CPD (continuing professional development) at State level;
- 10 innovative nationwide courses were given to the unemployed, in the sector branch or area assigned to the centre, increasing the innovative or experimental character of the skills addressed;
- several studies were carried out in different sector branches/areas for the updating of the Catalogue of training specialities (image and sound, oils, seeds and fats, fishing, electrical energy, renewable energies, livestock, canned vegetables);
- other actions are related to the implementation of visibility and dissemination actions, like developing web pages, holding workshops, open days or forums to spread information and knowledge of the CRN scope, as well as master classes, competitions and discussion fora;
- two CRN network meetings took place, one in April and the second in September, with the participation of sectoral joint structures. These are composed of the most representative employers' organisations and trade unions at the sector level to support skills anticipation and development of sectoral training in line with labour market needs).
- the CRNs have begun a path of collaboration with the sectoral joint structures (EPS in Spanish), and there has already been a pilot experience for the diagnosis of training needs within the digital economy EPS and the national reference centres (CRNs) for IT development and communications and IT systems and telematics.
The transfer of powers between the ministries of education and labour has affected the national reference centres, the year 2020 being a transitional period. The new single system of vocational education and training (IVET and vocational training for employment in the education remit) includes the coordination of the whole network of VET centres; the reformulation of the role of the existing integrated VET centres and national reference centres will support this aim.
The (approved) work plans 2020 of the 32 national reference centres include several visibility actions and support for VET teachers and training providers in planning and delivering vocational training:
- website design (20 CRNs), improving website performance (10 CRNs), positioning on social networks (19 CRNs), implementation of communication/marketing plans (10 CRNs);
- two congresses, 27 technical meetings, eight open days, nine master classes and three national programmes and initiatives held;
- 54 training courses for VET teachers and trainers/instructors in companies;
- 32 innovative courses for unemployed people to be delivered nationwide;
- 20 learning and assessment guides for professional certificate programmes;
- setting up a network of key stakeholders that would identify training companies and specialised professionals in the sectors and elaborate sectoral maps in 11 national reference centres;
- exchanges with State-wide sectoral entities and collaboration between NRCs of the same sectoral branch;
- collaboration meetings (October and November 2020) with SEPE's Observatory of Occupations, the National Institute for Qualifications (INCUAL), the State Foundation for Training in Employment (FUNDAE) and the joint sectoral structures (EPS) with meetings held during October and November on the Diagnosis of training needs;
- actions in 17 CRNs to identify new training needs with the commitment to develop 57 new programmes related to the training needs of the productive sector.
Two new national reference centres have been created in the reporting period, one in the professional areas of accommodation, catering and games of chance in the hospitality and tourism sector (in Andalusia), and the other in the professional areas of metallic construction and foundry in the metalworking sector (in the Principality of Asturias).
National reference centres carried out different activities according to their approved plans. In December, the education ministry organised a congress of national reference centres for vocational training, which was also attended by the leading VET social partners. National reference centre managers shared their experiences of training delivery, information and vocational guidance, international programmes and validation of professional competences. In addition, different working groups were held to design joint activities for the 2022 annual work plan of the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
The organic law 3/2022 of 31 March on the organisation and integration of Vocational Training, strengthens the connection of the National Reference Centres with the productive fabric of their environment to meet the needs of the specific and highly qualified professional profiles of the new economy. Spain continues to strengthen the network of reference centres in Vocational Training, in an economic scenario based on sustainability and digitisation, through innovation and applied research.
The network of National Reference Centres totals 40 throughout Spain with the recent addition of the Andalusian Integral Training Centre of the Mijas Leisure Industries (Málaga) and the transformation of the San Blas de Teruel Integrated Public Vocational Training Centre into a reference centre for the vocational training system of the Safety and Environment branch.
With the inclusion of the mentioned centres, the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP) responds to the need of having a reference centre in the vocational training system specialised in the hotel business and catering, and environmental management sectors. Reference centres, which carry out innovation actions, research and training, will also help to identify new professional qualifications, promote networks of collaboration with companies, or participate in procedures for the assessment and accreditation of professional competences, amongst others.
As set out in Spain´s NIP and Organic Law 3/2022, of 31 March, on the organisation and integration of Vocational Training, following the identification of sectors and areas with competitive potential in the different territories and in collaboration with the relevant authorities, a network of centres of excellence in vocational training based on smart specialisation has been established and will act as catalysts for areas of innovation and applied research, and active entrepreneurship in each productive sector.
In this sense, in July 2022 the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (MEFP) launched a call worth 50 million euros for the creation of the state network of Vocational Training centres of excellence. This investment, coming from component 20 of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, will serve to finance the qualification and integration plans of the selected centres that will be developed in a maximum period of three years.
With this new action, included in the Organic Law for the organisation and integration of Vocational Training, the MEFP will finance the methodological and digital transformation of the centre's spaces and equipment, the incorporation of applied disruptive technology, the training of teachers at state level, the development of innovation projects and applied research or networking, amongst others.
Public Administrations responsible for Vocational Training, which will be the recipients of all the funds and responsible for their justification, will be eligible for these aids. These funds will be transferred in their entirety to the selected centres to finance their plans and projects for their integration into the network of excellence
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Vocational Training
- Autonomous Communities (CC.AA.)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Adult learners
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- VET providers (all kinds)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers to the integration of VET into economic, industrial, innovation, social and employment strategies, including those linked to recovery, green and digital transitions, and where VET is seen as a driver for innovation and growth. It includes national, regional, sectoral strategic documents or initiatives that make VET an integral part of broader policies, or applying a mix of policies to address an issue VET is part of, e.g. in addressing youth unemployment measures through VET, social and active labour market policies that are implemented in combination. National skill strategies aiming at quality and inclusive lifelong learning also fall into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers to the ways VET is funded at the system level. Policies include optimisation of VET provider funding that allows them to adapt their offer to changing skill needs, green and digital transitions, the social agenda and economic cycles, e.g. increasing the funding for VET or for specific programmes. They can also concern changing the mechanism of how the funding is allocated to VET schools (per capita vs based on achievement or other criteria). Using EU funds and financial instruments for development of VET and skills also falls into this sub-category.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
This thematic sub-category refers to further development of national quality assurance (QA) systems for IVET and CVET, for all learning environments (school-based provision and work-based learning, including apprenticeships) and all learning types (digital, face-to-face or blended), delivered by both public and private providers. These systems are underpinned by the EQAVET quality criteria and by indicative descriptors applied both at system and provider levels, as defined in Annex II of the VET Recommendation. The sub-category concerns creating and improving external and self-evaluation of VET providers, and establishing criteria of QA, accreditation of providers and programmes. It also covers the activities of Quality assurance national reference points for VET on implementing and further developing the EQAVET framework, including the implementation of peer reviews at VET system level.
High-quality and timely skills intelligence is a powerful policy tool, helping improve economic competitiveness and fostering social progress and equality through the provision of targeted skills training to all citizens (Cedefop, 2020). Skills intelligence is the outcome of an expert-driven process of identifying, analysing, synthesising and presenting quantitative and/or qualitative skills and labour market information. Skills intelligence draws on data from multiple sources, such as graduate tracking systems, skills anticipation mechanisms, including at sectoral and regional levels. Actions related to establishing and developing such systems fall under this thematic sub-category.
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category is about the way learners learn, how the learning is delivered to them, and by what means. Programmes become more accessible through a combination of adaptable and flexible formats (e.g. face-to-face, digital and/or blended learning), through digital learning platforms that allow better outreach, especially for vulnerable groups and for learners in geographically remote or rural areas.
This thematic sub-category focuses on developing and updating all kinds of learning resources and materials, both for learners and for teachers and trainers (e.g. teachers handbooks or manuals), to embrace current and evolving content and modes of learning. These activities target all kinds of formats: hard copy and digital publications, learning websites and platforms, tools for learner self-assessment of progress, ICT-based simulators, virtual and augmented reality, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to the establishment and development of Centres of vocational excellence (CoVEs). These centres support the development of VET, including at higher qualification levels (EQF 5-8), cooperation of VET, higher education and research. They build on strong local business investment and support recovery, green and digital transitions, European and regional innovation and smart specialisation strategies. They provide innovative services, such as clusters and business incubators for start-ups, technology innovation for SMEs and innovative reskilling solutions for workers at risk of redundancy. The thematic sub-category is not limited to the centres supported by Erasmus+ funding.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
This thematic sub-category is in line with the EU policy focus on the green transition and sustainability, and refers to professional development and other measures to prepare and support teachers and trainers in raising learners’ awareness of the green transition and sustainable development, and teaching and training them on skills necessary for the green transition. It also covers the development and availability of tools and resources on sustainability and green transition for teachers and trainers.
This thematic sub-category is in line with the EU policy focus on the digital transition, and refers to professional development and other measures to prepare and support teachers and trainers in teaching their learners digital skills and competences. It also covers measures and support for them to increase their own digital skills and competences, including for teaching in virtual environments, working with digital tools and applying digital pedagogies. Emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic also fall into this sub-category.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- VET as a driver for innovation and growth preparing for digital and green transitions and occupations in high demand
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
Osnabrück Declaration
- Resilience and excellence through quality, inclusive and flexible VET
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation