European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit was in Barcelona on 19 October to open a high-level conference organised by the Spanish Presidency of the Council on ‘Active labour market policies, pillar of the European Year of Skills', and to sign a joint statement with the Presidency and social partners on the European Year of Skills, committing to implement active labour market policies.
After the conference, he visited one of Catalonia’s eight Innovation and Vocational Training Centres (CIFO) that are co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), touring the facilities and meeting with students and staff.
Commissioner Schmit said: “The CIFO model is an excellent one: this really is learning by doing. Unemployed adults come to the centres and learn specialised technical skills that are in-demand on the labour market, like electrical skills, welding and computer-aided design. I am particularly pleased that CIFO is reaching out to women to entice them into these traditionally male-oriented professions.”
The Innovation and Vocational Training Centre (CIFO) of Sant Feliu de Llobregat, visited by the Commissioner, is located in the Baix Llobregat area, which is known for its metallurgical and automotive industries. The centre specialises in training for mechanical operations, including courses in design and prototyping, automation and robotics. In 2022, 100% of graduates from the CIFO centre found employment. CIFO is carrying out campaigns to attract more women to study there, including setting up women-only grants, and employing more women teachers.
Other specialised courses cover a mix of professional skills and technical specifications adapted to the needs of a specific phase in the production process or the functions related to it. There are also courses designed to respond to specific labour market needs that are not included in the training catalogues of the Catalan public employment service (Servei Públic d’Ocupació – SOC).
70% of the students at the CIFO centre in Sant Feliu de Llobregat are unemployed, mostly aged between 35-55. The network of CIFO centres trains around 3,000 people every year. Local businesses often approach CIFO to explain which skills they are most in need of, and students have to complete a placement during the course, which often results in employment.
All eight of Catalonia’s innovation and vocational training centres also provide training for trainers. Two of the centres – Sant Feliu de Llobregat, which specialises in mechanical operations, and L'Hospitalet, which specialises in Graphic Arts – are part of the national Network of Reference Centres. The Network assesses how well the training offer matches the needs of the labour market, experiments with innovative training methods, and improves collaboration with the business sector, academia and other stakeholders.
