Private vocational training has overtaken state-funded vocational training: it has twice as many students as it did five years ago.

BarcelonaLast year, private vocational training (VT) courses enrolled twice as many students as just five years ago. This increased interest in private vocational training (VT) courses has not been a novelty for years: in recent years, the number of students enrolled in private VT courses has always been higher than in state-funded VT courses at this stage of post-compulsory education. In the 2019-2020 academic year, private VT courses had 40,989 students, almost 20,000 more than those enrolled in state-funded VT courses. However, this gap has widened to the point that last year there were approximately 60,000 more students enrolled in private VT courses (82,009) than in state-funded VT courses (21,963).

Despite this upward trend, in recent academic years, the number of vocational training groups offered by state-funded schools has been higher than that offered by private schools. An example of this is the 2021-2022 academic year, when state-funded schools had 243 more groups offered than private schools. However, last academic year this changed, and private schools made the overtaking in the state-subsidized system, offering 55 more groups and reaching 909 between intermediate and advanced levels.

Despite this tension between the private and state-subsidized systems, it should be noted that in Catalonia, the public system continues to be the one that accepts the most students, also in vocational training, with 119,219 and a total of 4,399 groups last year. Furthermore, for the next academic year, the Department of Education plans to offer 7,500 new places in vocational training, of which 2,149 will be for state-subsidized centers.

Behind this overtaking There are several reasons, ranging from the difference in the type of degrees offered by one modality and another to the pre-registration and registration times for vocational training cycles.

"Possibly the main reason for this phenomenon is that for decades the number of groups of concerted cycles has been blocked. It has not been able to grow because the public administration did not grant more concerts because it had no legal obligation to do so, and meanwhile the private sector has been doing so," notes the consultant in . In this sense, Fabian Mohedano, also a consultant in vocational training, adds that, on the contrary, "the private sector has grown in Catalonia and Spain because if you meet the requirements, they already give you authorization to offer new studies, regardless of whether there is a need or not."

For years, and in view of the increase in interest in vocational training (this year there have been 7% more pre-registration requests than last year), the Department of Education has outlined several Strategies to align the offer of vocational training degrees with the needs of the productive sector. That is, to prevent the growth of training programs that will later have no job opportunities and to promote those required by the business sector.

Now, as Mohedano explains, the fact that private companies can initiate certain studies only by meeting the requirements has meant that, with the government's attempt to reorganize vocational training, some companies see an opportunity to offer highly attractive courses, such as video disc jockey or sports, but without a large number of sports. "That's the only complaint I have regarding private training. Why doesn't the government control the authorization system and allow the offer to grow in areas where there will later be no employability?" the consultant laments.

On the other hand, both Arcaros and Mohedano insist that the success of vocational training must also be included in this equation. on-line, a modality that does not exist in the state-funded system, but which, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly successful in private schools in Catalonia, where students from all over the country are trained.

The uncertainty of pre-registration

Another reason for the rise of private vocational training is related to the increased prestige of these studies. "The social segment that can afford to study and who previously didn't want to have anything to do with vocational training because they saw it as the Cinderella of the educational system now sees it as a worthy option," says Arcarons. Furthermore, the former director general of vocational training also highlights that one factor that explains this change in perception is that private centers "are specializing more in higher education and presenting it as higher education almost like university studies, as is the case in other parts of Europe."

Finally, Arcarons highlights another reason that has been crucial for the rise of private vocational training. overtaking From private to state-funded vocational training: deadlines and problems with pre-registration and registration in vocational training. In recent years, the high demand for entry into a cycle, combined with an imbalance between the studies demanded and the studies offered, has meant that The course begins with 30,000 students without a place, and that some students who had not entered the degree they were interested in chose not to do FP.

"As the admission procedure is too complicated and the registration calendar is somewhat too long, it creates uncertainty for families. This means that either they opt for the baccalaureate, where they are sure to have a place, or, if not, those who can pay for it go to the place and enroll in the private sector to make sure they have it Arcarons, who insists that the growth of private education in FP does not have to be a problem, but rather an opportunity for improvement.

In an attempt to avoid a new start to the school year with thousands of students without a place assigned to FP, the Government has opted to modify the process and advance the pre-registration scheduleThis year, the pre-registration process will be online and will close on July 31st, instead of September, as it has been until now.