The week of the Creativity workshop will take place from the 2 to the 6 of October, in which all teams will work to generate ideas in order to respond to the challenge launched by the international company Veòlia (Aigües de Barcelona).

The three teams, made up of students from the centre of Mercantec (Viborg, Denmark), from Wijnpers (Leuven, Belgium) and the Esteve Terradas Institute (Barcelona), will be working together in the centre of Leuven to explore and define their ideas and concreteize them into concepts, through participatory dynamics and active educational activities.

The european project will continue throughout the 2023-2024 year and will end in June next year.

• Vocation Educational Training is progressing as a route to employment in a country with high youth unemployment.
  Article: https://elpais.com/opinion/2023-08-19/la-formacion-profesional-crece.html?ssm=TW_CC
  Vacant places in Middle Grade Formative Cycles. Around 14,000 VET places available!
  More information: https://fp.gencat.cat
• October 6: ‘Prospect 2023-26 FPCAT System’ Conference, at the same time that integrated VET centers will get going. https://diarifp.cat/2023/09/20/les-dates-clau-de-lfp-daquest-ultim-trimestre/.
• The FP CAT Agency organizes training seminars aimed at people who perform guidance functions, with the aim of implementing the new Model of Professional Orientation Protocol. Registrations here: https://fp.gencat.cat/ca/orientacio-365/soc-professional-de-lorientacio/seminaris-de-formacio/.

The Foundation participates as a member of the jury of the DonaTIC Awards 2023, promoted by the Digital Policies Secretary of the Government of Catalonia.

These awards have a double objective:

• To recognise and make visible the fundamental role of women in the professional, business and academic world of new technologies.
• To offer references to girls and teens who doubt whether or not to devote themselves to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the future.

On Thursday 14 September of 2023, at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce in Barcelona, the jury of the Honorary Committee met, responsible of selecting from among the 86 semi-finalists, the three finalist candidates and the winner of each of the 10 categories.

The award ceremony for the DonaTIC Awards 2023 will take place on November 16 2023, where we will know who will be the winner in the VET TIC category.

Since its first edition in 2015, the DonaTIC Awards have received a total of 621 nominations and have established themselves as a reference in the recognition and dissemination of the role and talent of women in the technological and digital field.

Our managing director Neus Pons Pena, and the director of the Bertelsmann Foundation, with Clara Bassols, participated at the Menéndez Pelayo International University providing experience about the Dual VET; lifelong learning requires a global look at the entire education system.

The winning teams of the MetropolisFPLab5 are currently staying in the chosen company to respond to their posed challenge.

A total of 44 students from 12 different teams were the winners of the fifth edition of the program. The prize consists on the development of their idea in a company through a paid scholarship that allows them to carry out their proposal, and to learn and know more about the company.

We provide you with the latest VET news:

–Decree 137/2023, of July 25, of integrated vocational training centres.

–GOV/159/2023 agreement, of July 25, promoting the creation of the Integrated Map of VET.

On the other hand, we also attach the:

–Royal Decree of Organization of the Vocational Training System of July 18.

This July, the call for proposals from the Simulated Company project for the application of the SEFED methodology (Business Simulation for Educational Purposes) has been decided in the Barcelona and their metropolitan area VET centers. A total of 25 VET centers will participate in the project for the next 2023-2024 course. Welcome to the network of simulated companies!

SIGMA renews its collaboration with the BCN VET Foundation, whose mission is to foster the relationship between vocational training and the economic and social environment, promoting an integrated and lifelong training, as well as promoting its internationalisation through international mobility and knowledge transfer.

As a collaborating company, SIGMA and the BCN VET Foundation will continue to work together to enhance vocational training and its connection to the working environment, promoting opportunities for growth and development for students and professionals in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, as well as contributing to fostering the culture of work and entrepreneurship, in line with the economic and social development of the region.

On July 13, the Catalan Coordinator of Foundations organized an Intercommittees meeting at the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. We had the opportunity to learn more about the foundation hard work in the research on alzheimer. We also had the opportunity to work in the different committees to be able to know what do we do and to establish more synergies. The coordinator’s management team will collect all the information, that will be useful to promote its strategic lines.

The restaurant of La Pau, of the el Llindar Foundation, served a catering to close the meeting and wish us a good summer.