Along with motivation, preparation is a determining factor… But is there an age limit for studying? Just as your first job doesn't have to be forever, you don't have to stick with basic training either. There are thousands of options for continuing your studies in Spain! If you think it's time to refocus your professional career, or to give your life as a student a new direction, read this post. We'll tell you what types of training there are currently in Spain and what options you have depending on your personal and professional situation.
There are many types of training: distance learning, in-person, online , mixed, university and postgraduate degrees, vocational training, private degrees, internships, ... even YouTube tutorials! ... And it's not that one type of training is better than another, it's that they have different objectives , each one has its function. We explain the types of Training in Spain!
Knowing how to choose what type of training we need or want at a given time is essential for professional development in the name of happiness.
Below I will present some of the types of training that we can find in Spain and a brief insight into each of them.
Formal and non-formal training
First of all, we must differentiate between formal and non-formal training .
Formal training refers to teachings contemplated by the Ministry of Education and Culture taught in public or private centers accredited for this purpose (Baccalaureate, Degrees, Vocational Training, Masters...).
Non-regulated training is that which is not covered by the Ministry of Education. It offers training not covered by it (Courses, Postgraduate courses, Masters...). It allows you to obtain a specialization for your work environment or future job that you are going to perform. This training is provided by private training centers, private universities, business schools... To give you an example, we are a benchmark for non-regulated training in Spain.
Vocational training
The famous Vocational Training is considered a key piece for the labour insertion of both young people and unemployed people . It has many branches or subsystems depending on the specialty that you wish to study. Vocational training courses are theoretical-practical training programs that aim to improve professional qualifications and/or the ability to insert or re-insert into the labour market by improving the professional skills of workers. There is the possibility of taking FP in person , as well as taking the courses online or on your own, to later sit the free tests to obtain the title. The types of Vocational Training in Spain are:
Specific : taught by the educational system. Its objective is to provide basic skills for employment to young people who finish compulsory secondary education or high school and who are looking for training in a more practical way, directing their studies towards rapid insertion into the labour market . It is divided into various professional families, which in turn are divided into intermediate or advanced qualifications:
Intermediate qualifications : these can be accessed after having completed compulsory secondary education or by taking an entrance exam. A technical qualification is obtained which allows access to the world of work or a higher degree qualification. The university entrance exam for those over 25 years of age also allows access to intermediate vocational training.
Higher level qualifications : You must have a high school diploma, a technical qualification, a university degree or access through an entrance exam. You obtain a qualification that gives you access to the job market or a university degree without having to take the PAU exam.
Occupational : This is outside the educational system and is aimed primarily at unemployed people. It is not academically recognised; its purpose is to provide professional qualification in those professional areas where companies have the greatest shortages and are more likely to facilitate reintegration into the labour market. It is a very useful tool to complement basic formal training based on the needs detected in the market or the training deficiencies of each individual.
Continua- Professional Training for Employment : Aimed at active or unemployed workers, both in the Public Administration and in private companies, with the intention of improving and updating their professional skills . It helps to improve the employability and competitiveness of companies, one of the factors where many companies seek to improve in order to compete internationally. You will increase your professional development and you will be able to discover new topics that may interest you. If you are unemployed, continuous training is an excellent complement to your CV. In addition, thanks to it, doors may open to job offers that you did not previously consider. You will differentiate yourself from other candidates. Do not forget that the more specialized your training is, the more valuable you will be for a personnel recruiter. You will be able to improve things such as productivity, task management, languages and even the use of computer programs useful for your daily work. In addition, you will accredit your knowledge with certificates and degrees that corroborate your training.
Types of Training in Spain
Internship training
It consists of doing internships in companies after completing a vocational training course . The Ministry of Education and Culture has its own type of internship training since the creation of the “Training in Workplaces” (FCT) module . This type of training is compulsory for students who take intermediate and higher level training cycles. They are always without financial compensation.
University
A university degree was once thought to be the panacea; however, nowadays it does not guarantee anything, much less a job. So, which path should you choose? Why study a university degree when there are other quicker ways to enter the workforce that are more focused on professional practice? I do not want to imply with this question that it does not make sense to study a university degree, it all depends on our objectives. The problem is that we tend to think that the next step after high school is list of canada cell phone numbers university and we do not consider other types of training that may be more in line with our goals. A university degree, at the diploma, bachelor's or graduate level, opens certain doors for you and is focused on the academic and research field , rather than on entering the workforce.
Master
Official Master's Degree: Official master's degrees are regulated by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA), an entity dependent on the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MECD), which implies that they have homologation in the 47 member countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and are recognized throughout the territory of the European Union . The Official Master's Degree awards points in the competitive examinations or competitions of the Public Administration as a postgraduate degree. The Bologna Plan contemplates an Official Master's degree as a prerequisite for pursuing a Doctorate.
Own degrees/unofficial Master's: This is an academic degree with private regulation and professional orientation . This type of training is complementary to your professional career and its purpose is to obtain a specialization in the area studied to improve the student's professional career and train them in specific aspects related to their field of action. Own degrees are designed and approved by university councils, in many cases in collaboration with professionals and experts from different organizations. They are designed to respond quickly to the needs posed by the labor market and society, since continuous scientific and technological advances, together with the evolution of the socioeconomic environment and the increase in competitiveness at the labor level, force many professionals and students to recycle and continuously complete their training, hence the importance of carrying out this type of studies. They score as continuous training, although this may vary depending on the scale of each contest or opposition, but it will always be lower in Own Degrees.
Although the Official Master's Degree and the Own Degrees have different considerations regarding the homologation of studies within the European framework, in the private sector they are both equally valid. Both the Official Master's Degrees and the Own Degrees are Postgraduate programmes with the aim of providing quality and highly specialised training, although the Official Master's Degrees are more oriented towards research.
Doctorate
It requires the prior completion of a Master's degree. The Doctorate is the last and pre-eminent academic degree conferred by a university or other authorized institution. The award of a doctorate implies the recognition of the candidate as an equal by the faculty of the university in which he or she studied. Those who obtain this degree are called doctors. It is important to emphasize that about 60% of doctors stay working in the university environment and only 4% go to work in the public administration and 20% go to industry, especially in companies that carry out research activities.
"The dogmas of the silent past are inadequate to the tempestuous present. The occasion is a mountain of difficulties, and we must grow with the circumstance. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenchant ourselves, and so we may save our country." Abraham Lincoln, 1862
In this video, Ken Robinson talks about how there are two types of people: those who love their work and wouldn't imagine doing anything else; and those who wait for the weekend. He says that the problem lies in education, in what we take for granted and what seems obvious to us. However, we must personalize our education and adapt it to a specific moment, in order to feed the spirit as if we were farmers, creating the conditions for our passions to flourish.