Working in Spain: Vocational Training

Employees may participate in training schemes developed for companies or professionals and trade unions. 

Training is directed just as much towards improving skills and qualifications as to the re-qualification of workers, permanent adaptation to the development of professions and job content, thus improving the skills and qualifications necessary for strengthening the competitive situation of companies and of their employees. 

Continuous training is managed by the Tripartite Foundation for Training in Employment, which includes representatives of the administration and the trade unions and professional organisations.

Workers have the right to permission to participate in training and improvement courses related to their job.

Occupational Training for Unemployed Workers

This is developed through the National Plan for Training and Employability.

Its aim is to give unemployed workers the qualifications required for the productive system, with the goal of enabling them to find a job.

Courses are planned each year by the National Institute of Employment (INEM) or the Autonomous Communities with this competence (Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile, La Mancha, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, the Balearic Islands, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra and Valencia) according to the training needs in the different regions and production sectors.

This training is given directly or in Collaboration Centres (private training companies) whose training specialities have previously been officially authorised, as well as professional organisations or trade unions, public or private training organisations or companies with which a collaboration agreement has been signed, provided that the programmes are developed within their own authorised Collaboration Centres.

The courses include a practical part, which may be carried out in classrooms or workshops or in companies with which appropriate collaboration agreements have been made. Work experience carried out in companies will not involve the existence of a prior working relationship between the students and the company and its implementation will be reported to the legal representatives of the company's workers.

Grants and Aid

Unemployed students on these courses may have the right to various aid for transport, food, accommodation, assistance, in this case and in others.

The grants and aid indicated in previous sections also apply to the implementation of professional work experience in companies.

Text last edited on: 06/2005

Source: European Union
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