Vocational training has become a highly recommended study alternative with a clear vocation for employability. If until a few years ago people who were supposedly incapable of a university education were offered vocational training, now everything has changed.
As in other European countries, VT has gained a reputation worthy of recognition. We can see all kinds of profiles in the classroom today: people going from secondary to middle school. Others who graduated from high school chose to cycle higher and not go to college. University students who drop out of a degree because they prefer to have more practical content in vocational training. Also, others who do not have a university degree but cannot find a job and see VET as a professional opportunity. Or older people who are unemployed or have an ERE in their company and want to train in a new industry. I think vocational training faces a series of challenges for the near future that I outline in these five ideas.
In the first place, it will be important to get an education offer linked to the economy of the region. To have or not to have an education cycle should respond not to a political whim but to an objective criterion for existence. The same geographical region cannot have the same vocational training opportunity. The proposal is linked to the needs of the productive sectors of the region. Therefore, the planning of educational cycles and the rest of the vocational qualifications offered by the regulations should aim to have a vocational education map tied to the economic reality of a field. It should make sense and sometimes this offer can change depending on the needs of productive sectors. However, the link must be complete and clear.
Second, digitization as the cross-axis of all training. The digital transformation processes we are in have a cross-effect on the different branches and occupational families that make up VET. Digitization affects not only computing cycles, but the rest as well. It is necessary to have certain digital skills and knowledge that enable to suggest solutions on how technology can help the digital transformation of a particular industry. In addition, having cross-training of the most disruptive technologies and enabling technology, which is a lever for promoting or changing a way to solve a problem. In other words, the abstraction capacity to address a particular problem with the range of solutions technology can offer.
Third, the possibility of adapting curriculum contents. It is clear that for a title to be meaningful it must have a set of pedagogical content, expected learning outcomes or evaluation criteria to pass it. But in addition to this, it is essential to have a certain flexibility to approach content that depends on the economic and social reality of the region. This contextualization arises from the link I said earlier should be between the region and VET centers where faculty members are in contact with companies in the industry and receive feedback on the needs, the way they work, the tools they use and the tools they use. What they expect from students who go to work and do internships in business centers. Also, the possibility of dual vocational training to work on these aspects.
Fourth, the need for multilingualism in vocational training. When you travel around Europe and attend more than one meeting, you can gradually realize that our country lags behind Europe in terms of grammar, which is most accepted by the international community, such as English. The commitment to providing non-linguistic content in other languages to overcome these barriers must be clear.
And in the fifth and last place, and therefore not least, the internationalization of vocational training through participation in Erasmus+ programs, the contact of professional families of teachers in other countries with prestigious VET centers. Implementation of overseas education practices or exchange of good practices.
It can be said that vocational education is in fashion and living its golden age. It is a good opportunity to take advantage of these synergies in creating the best possible vocational training.