For those charting a path into the job market, the latest report on supply and demand sheds light on the Valencian Community. Even as some momentum shifted after the pandemic, vocational education remains a strong line of access for employment, with Adecco and Knowledge Employment highlighting the sustained demand for FP graduates within independent businesses and various sectors.
According to the current data, 38.35% of published job offers in the Community require skills tied to vocational training. This figure marks a decline of 2.77 points from a year ago and a drop of 4.5 points compared with 2020. While this downward trend echoes a national pattern, the Valencian autonomous region still keeps FP graduates in a leading position, especially when contrasted with other regions where university degrees are currently the top preference of employers.
Notably, the report underscores differences that hinge on the specific FP level. The premium class of vocational education graduates has seen a 23.9% increase in demand across all job offers in the autonomous region, up by two points. In contrast, the middle-class technician category fell by 4.76 points, now accounting for 14.45% of total job offers. These shifts illustrate how demand varies by qualification level within the same area.
Analysts explain this divergence by noting that substantial employment in the secondary sector is tied to industries that faced challenges in the past year, including supply shortages, rising prices, energy costs, and the unsettled climate created by geopolitical events. The outlook suggests that many industrial sectors will continue to grapple with these pressures, influencing hiring patterns across the region.
Leading job offers by qualification
The sectors posting the most opportunities, when broken down by qualification, show Management and Administration maintaining the top spot, with roughly 10.89% of nationwide vacancies. Next are Electric and Electronics at 8.23%, Mechanical Manufacturing at 4.19%, followed by IT and Telecoms at 3.68%. The perception of which fields lead can shift year to year, but these areas consistently attract a sizable share of openings for FP candidates.
Two rows below the previous year, Installation and Maintenance appears, highlighting a sector that faced the sharpest decline in FP job offers at 3.57%. Marketing and Trade follow closely with about 3.55%. Together, these six vocational specializations account for roughly 34.11% of vacancies seeking FP candidates.
The data point to meaningful concentrations of demand in specific disciplines, suggesting practical paths for students and job seekers aiming for the fastest placement in the Valencian market. Such insights are valuable for counselors, training providers, and individuals strategizing their FP studies to align with regional needs.
FP cycles with the most business travel in Alicante this year
For those focusing on travel-intensive roles, the latest figures show Management climbing one percentage point and advancing four places in the FP rankings to lead with 4.54% of all jobs. The next most active category slid slightly, though it remains in second place with 3.24% of notices. Occupations in Support Technician roles come in next with 2.64%, followed by programming roles at about 2% of postings.
Observatory for Vocational Education reports that enrollment in this training track surpassed the one million mark in 2023, up from 800,000 in 2018. Although Spain’s FP enrollment rate stands at 12%, this sits below the OECD average of 29% and the broader European Union rate of 25%, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics. This context reflects ongoing attention to vocational pathways as a viable route to skills and employment.