Within the framework of the collaboration between the BCN Vocational Training Foundation and the Basilica of the Sagrada Família, the young people participating in the Singular Compeuropa 2023 project have presented their proposals for improving the content and design of the education section of the temple website.

On April 27, at the headquarters of the Palau de Pedralbes in Barcelona, the FPCAT Awards were awarded to the good practices promoted in the field of vocational training. The Awards, which have already reached their 4th edition, include the following categories:

a) Individual trajectories: recognition of the actions carried out by individuals in the exercise of their professions.

b) Careers in training centres: recognition of notable experiences carried out by centres that provide initial or occupational vocational training.

c) Companies and other entities: recognition of significant contributions to the construction of quality vocational training carried out by public and private entities.

d) Award for research in the field of vocational training.

e) Good practices in the individual trajectory of the user of vocational training centers.

On April 25, at the headquarters of the “Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional”, the study promoted by the “Consejo Económico y Social de Espa’a” (Economic and Social Council of Spain) was presented: “La Formación Dual en Espa’a, situación y prespectivas”.

The report highlights the contribution that a wide development of dual training can make to contribute to a lasting, sustainable and inclusive economic recovery, generating more jobs and higher quality.

Report document: https://www.ces.es/documents/10180/5306984/Inf0123.pdf

The BCN Vocational Training Foundation has organized a conference to present its new pedagogical and innovative project based on the exchange of knowledge on innovative solutions in the field of sustainability.

This project called “EU Water Challenge VET Labs” aims to involve European VET learners and trainers to identify nature-based innovative solutions to mitigate the consequences and effects of flooding and improve water retention within an imaginary European city, called ‘Metropoli’. Both learners and trainers will participate in the first international VET awards to respond to this key social challenge in the water management sector.

The company that launches the challenge is Agbar, part of the international Veolia group, committed to ecological transformation. The city ‘Metropoli’ is invented and developed by Agbar and includes a series of combined functions from a typical city of Denmark, Belgium and Spain to emulate different environmental contexts (those from the different participating centers) in a unique city.
Therefore, participating VET students will have to be creative to solve a real-world need by applying the challenge-based learning approach (Challenge Based Learning) and other open innovation methodologies applied to VET, while acquiring deeper knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a changing world.
The event was attended by leading experts from the sector and brought together representatives of companies and entities involved in the sector.

Among the speakers were Lluc Pejó, director of the Water School and talent director of Agbar and responsible for launching the challenge of the project, Mrs. Anna Hern’ndez, head of the Social and Economic Development Area of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. In addition, Sol Bermejo, coordinator of the project for the BCN Vocational Training Foundation, presented the EU Water Challenge VET Labs, and Gemma Sepúlveda, coordinator of the Foundation’s innovation project, also presented the MetropolisFPLab, a project that has served as an inspiration to scale up a pedagogical VET project based on challenge-based learning at the European level.

During the presentation of the challenge, experts in urban drainage solutions have shared their knowledge and experiences, including the explanation of what are “natural-based solutions” by Angel Villanueva, director of resilience and climate change at Agbar. The city ‘Metròpoli’ was also presented by Montse Lloch, Head of Communication of the Agbar Water School, explaining to the participants what were the basic requirements with which the fictional city created by the participants would need to count.

The Challenge-Based Learning (ABR) methodology, an innovative pedagogical element provided by the project and the virtual platform, have also been presented by Joan Ras, from SDLI. The session closed with a group dynamic to promote teamwork among students by Júlia Zivic and Gemma Sepúlveda, from the Barcelona Vocational Training Foundation.

This week, a delegation of teachers and different institutions are doing a training stay in the cities of Hamburg and Hanover in order to know the German vocational training system in general and, specifically, the dual vocational training system in the field of logistics and international trade.