During the month of March, the 7th edition of the Compeuropa 2025 Singular Project was kicked off. This year, 60 young graduates in vocational training from the centers of Barcelona and its metropolitan area will have the opportunity to develop personally and professionally in companies in Munich, Hanover, Bremen and Oldenburg (Germany). 

The project, coordinated by the BCN Vocational Training Foundation, offers young graduates in vocational training, the opportunity to train linguistically in German language, carry out 6 weeks of internships in German companies, formalize a contract of at least one year with a company and, finally, homologate the vocational training qualification in Germany. 

The project is supported by the Catalan Employment Service, the Lower Saxon Chamber of Commerce (IHK Hannover), the City Council of Munich (Landeshauptstadt München) and Humboldt Comunicación Intercultural.

The 15th edition of the International Fair of Simulated Companies has opened its doors to the Fira de Barcelona, in an event organized by the Inform Foundation. It is an initiative in which we have participated for more than ten years, with our project Simulated Company, an innovation project that seeks to complement the training with a completely practical knowledge and enhance the transversal skills of VET students that promotes the training and employability of VET students.

The opening ceremony was attended by prominent personalities from the education and employment sector. Among them, Juan José Torres, director of the Employment Office of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Ricard Coma, director of Vocational Training of the Department of Education, and Scott Mitchell, director of the international network of simulated companies Pen Worldwide.

During the inauguration, the speakers highlighted the importance of this event for the development of professional skills in a practical and innovative environment. The fair is consolidated as a meeting and learning space for students, teachers and companies, promoting experience in the world of work through business simulation.

With this new edition, the BCN Vocational Training Foundation is committed to and represents Vocational Training for all.

On March 21, the Casal de Cultura in Sant Adrià de Besòs hosted a conference on Vocational Educational Training in the Besòs area, with the aim of discussing the challenges and priorities for the future of education in the region.

The event featured the participation of the Mayor of Sant Adrià de Besòs, Filo Cañete, as well as representatives from the Department of Education and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area.

The conference included a presentation of the research study “Formative Key Diagnosis of the Besòs Area” by our VET Observatory, and featured discussion panels on educational challenges and the needs of the local economic fabric. Business leaders and policymakers agreed on the importance of adapting vocational training to labor market demands to ensure a more competitive future for young people in the area.

The event concluded with a commitment to strengthening collaboration between public administrations and businesses to transform Vocational Training into a driver of social and economic development in the Besòs area.

Link to the study:

Diagnosi en clau formativa de la zona Besòs

On March 17, within the framework of the “Visió Viladecans 2030” Pilotage Circle, the BCN Vocational Training Foundation formalized its adherence to the 0 School Abandonment Mission, reaffirming its commitment to the fight against the premature abandonment of studies and the improvement of youth employability.

The event, organized by the City Council of Viladecans, has brought together 47 organizations committed to the School Abandonment Mission 0 and 25 with the Climate Mission 0, adding a total of 62 entities allied to the Viladecans Missions 2030, a collective project that seeks to transform the city through strategic alliances. The BCN FP Foundation, in line with its mission to promote quality Vocational Training adapted to the needs of the labour market, decided to join the mission focused on reducing school dropout.

During the day, the representatives of each entity placed their symbolic footprint on the tree of the Viladecans Mission 2030. In the case of the BCN FP Foundation, this imprint represents our commitment to promoting educational success and ensuring that more young people complete their training with the necessary skills to access the labour market.

With this adhesion, the BCN FP Foundation strengthens our networking with administrations, companies and educational centers to promote policies and actions that contribute to reducing school dropout and promoting Vocational Training as a key tool for the social and economic development of the territory.

For the first time, 15 students from the Barcelona School of Second Opportunities have started an international mobility experience in Vejle, Denmark. This exchange, carried out in collaboration with FGUTrekanten and Xarxa FP, offers young people a unique opportunity to expand horizons, improve skills and share learning with students from other countries.

During the stay, participants will enter a new culture, attend training activities and strengthen their social and professional skills. This initiative marks an important step in the commitment of the School of Second Opportunities to offer transformative educational experiences to its students.

On March 18, the 11th DonaTIC Awards have been opened with the aim of distinguishing the role of women in the professional, business and academic world in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) and disseminating references among society to promote vocations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (CTEM) and promote the presence of female technological studies.

The BCN Vocational Training Foundation is part of the jury of these Awards that are divided into eight categories and two subcategories, one of which is for a VET TIC student who has developed a remarkable project or initiative in this field.

The deadline for applications is 18 March 2025 until 30 April 2024, at 14:00 h.

Call: HERE
Press Note: HERE

The second Intercultural Workshop was held with the participation of students from Barcelona and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB). This meeting focused on conflict management, knowledge of responsibilities and commitments, as well as key aspects about host cities.

The aim of the workshop is to promote coexistence, empathy and joint growth among participants, providing tools to improve their experience in a multicultural environment. This initiative reaffirms the commitment to inclusion and training in values for a more cohesive society.

The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, visited today the offices of the Barcelona Vocational Training Foundation and the FP Network at the Municipal Institute of Education of Barcelona (IMEB). The visit has served to exchange ideas and explore new ways of collaboration to promote professional training in the city.

Collboni, who is also president of the Foundation, has highlighted the importance of vocational training for the future of Barcelona and has expressed his commitment to the development of new initiatives that allow to generate a positive impact in this area.

The visit was well received by representatives of the BCN FP Foundation and the FP Network, who thanked the mayor for their interest and expressed their willingness to work together with the Barcelona City Council to consolidate the city as a benchmark in vocational training.

Barcelona, March 12, 2025 – The BCN Vocational Training Foundation, has presented the Yearbook of Vocational Training and the Barcelona Labour Market, AMB and RMB, a key report to evaluate and analyze the evolution of Vocational Training and its relationship with the labor market in Barcelona and its metropolitan area and region. The event took place in the Plenary Hall of the Headquarters of the District of Sants-Montjuïc with the participation of institutional representatives and experts. 

The institutional opening was given by Javier Rodríguez, Commissioner for Child, Adolescent, Youth and LGTBI Policies at the Barcelona City Council; Elisabet Tejero, Director of Social Policy and Equality Services at the AMB; José Luis Durán, Executive President of the Agency for Vocational Training and Qualification of Catalonia; and Paco Ramos, Secretary of Labor at the Department of Business and Labor. 

Next, we presented the Yearbook with the intervention of Maria Nogué, secretary of the Economic and Social Council of Barcelona; Àngel Tarri’o, coordinator of the VET Observatory of the BCN Vocational Training Foundation, and Javier Gracia and Victoria Sanjuan, technicians of the VET Observatory. During the session, outstanding data have been shared, such as the “improvement of the employability and quality of this occupation thanks to VET”, as well as the 21% increase in enrollment in the VET system throughout the AMB with respect to the 2020/2021 academic year. These figures reflect the positive impact of vocational training on the labour market and its ability to adapt to the needs of the sector.  

The event ended with the closing of Pere Fàbregas, vice president of the BCN Vocational Training Foundation, and Francesc Roca, secretary of Vocational Training of the Department of Education and Vocational Training. 

The Yearbook of Vocational Training and the Labour Market is consolidated as well as an indispensable tool to understand the dynamics of the labour market and adapt vocational training to current and future needs. The day served to strengthen the commitment of institutions and the sector in the continuous improvement of VET.

The 26th General Assembly of the FP Network took place in Espoo, Finland, bringing together representatives of European cities to discuss future network initiatives and strategies for vocational education and training (FP) mobility. The event, organized at the Omnia Campus, focused on key debates on the 2024 and 2025 work plan, budget allocations and strengthening international cooperation.

During the assembly it was announced that the city of Patras (Greece) has provisionally joined the FP network, marking a significant expansion of the collaboration. The event also included a tour of the Omnia Campus, showing its role in professional education, and a meeting of mobility managers, which provided the opportunity to exchange ideas and improve the mobility of students and staff through the network.

The General Assembly reaffirmed the commitment of participating cities to foster the mobility of high quality vocational training, strengthen partnerships and support innovation in education across Europe. A sincere thanks to all the attendees for their participation, with special thanks to Omnia for its outstanding organization and warm hospitality.