abilityLess time, more specialization, and higher employability rate. It seems the perfect formula for Vocational Training to become one of the most attractive for students. Digitalization, the constant emergence of new professions, and the inevitable impact of COVID-19 on the economy have done the rest, driving the need to maintain continuous training among employees.
The Vocational Training system has demonstrated its ability to incorporate innovation with the agility that productive sectors need. For this reason, it has emerged as one of the strategic areas of government policies, as it is understood to be an engine of economic and social growth.
More specifically, within this system, the mission of Training for Employment is to train and qualify people for work and permanently update their skills and knowledge throughout their professional life. It includes initial Vocational Training, training for the insertion and reinsertion of workers into the labor force, as well as those aimed at continuous training in companies.
Training for Employment is regulated by the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Social Security. In spite of being a non-regulated training, it offers the opportunity to obtain an official title that accredits the training for the performance of a labor activity with significance for employability; that is, the Certificate of Professionalism. This accreditation allows an improvement in the working conditions of employees, as it is highly recognized in the labor market.
In addition, this type of training has benefited from the regulatory changes applied in recent years. With the approval of Law 30/2015, the Training for Employment system was simplified, causing a reduction in the number of training institutions and an increase in the funds allocated for this purpose. Likewise, an improvement in Training for Employment contracts, announced by the Government, is foreseen at a time when there is no capacity for training institutions to absorb the Training for Employment needed, which represents an opportunity for training companies.
Training for Employment and Vocational Training of the educational system have a common objective: lifelong learning, from initial training to on-the-job training. Therefore, the integration of both systems is necessary to ensure their effectiveness and efficiency.
Consequently, it is possible for employees that possess a Certificate of Professionalism to have the option of validating their experience for modules of the different programs offered by Vocational Training and, thus, obtain an official formal training qualification.
Now, more than ever, learning and training should not be seen as an expense, but as a priority investment for companies. The knowledge and new skills of employees will help a company to increase productivity, evolve, and innovate.
Camilla Ciccione
Analyst