From 24 to 28 October, Fundación Laboral de la Construcción hosted a French delegation from CCCA-BTP (Comité de Concertation et de Coordination de l’Apprentissage du Bâtiment et des Travaux Publics). The delegation, made up of eleven professionals from the areas of Training, Employment, Innovation and International Projects, travelled to Spain to gain first-hand insight into the country’s training and employment framework in the construction sector.

Over the course of a week, the French representatives held working meetings with the Training and Employment team at Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, exchanging experiences and analysing shared challenges facing the sector. The programme provided a deeper understanding of Spain’s vocational education and training system, as well as training for employment schemes, the skills certification model and current career guidance and employability strategies.

Innovation and training in Madrid

The visit began in Madrid, at the headquarters of Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, where a series of technical sessions addressed key topics such as the Spanish certification system, training methodologies for trainers and the use of educational technology. Particular attention was given to the application of Virtual Reality (VR) in learning processes within the construction sector.

The delegation was also introduced to employment guidance strategies and labour market integration initiatives, including the Generación Cambio project. In addition, several international projects co-funded by the European Union and developed by the entity were presented.

As part of the field visits, the group toured the Madrid Municipal School of Green Employment and Trades (EMEVO), a centre that works closely with Fundación Laboral de la Construcción in delivering training programmes. Accompanied by the centre’s director, Esther Cristóbal, and Gema Villalba, Head of Training & Talent at the Agencia para el Empleo de Madrid, the visitors learned about the Escuelas Municipales initiative promoted by the Madrid City Council and its skills development programmes.

The delegation then travelled to the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción training centre in Vicálvaro, where Laura Valverde, Head of Training and Employment at Fundación Laboral de la Construcción in Madrid, guided the visit through the workshops and facilities, explaining the training programmes delivered at the centre.

The Madrid programme concluded with a visit to the National Reference Centre for Training in Building and Civil Engineering (CRN) in Paracuellos del Jarama. There, Alejandro Ruiz, Technical Support Officer at the centre, presented the facilities and the virtual simulators used to train students.

The public–private training model in Andalusia

The second part of the visit took place in Málaga, with a programme focused on public–private collaboration and accreditation systems. The CCCA-BTP delegation visited the 'Remedios Rojo' Public Vocational Training Centre for Employment, where they were welcomed by Isabel Moya, Secretary General of the Andalusian Employment Service, and Cristina Guerrero, Head of Training at the Andalusian Employment Service.

During this visit, discussions focused on the skills accreditation procedure, linguistic accreditation of communication skills and the  management of professional certificates, key tools for the qualification of construction workers.

The institutional programme concluded at the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción training centre in Málaga. Juan Ignacio Vargas, Regional Manager of the entity in Andalusia, Margarita Cousinou, Head of Training in Andalusia, and Elena Linares, Centre Coordinator, presented the facilities and shared the working methodologies implemented in the region.

As a cultural highlight, the delegation also enjoyed a gastronomic experience prepared by students from 'La Cónsula' Catering School in Málaga.

This visit further strengthens the strong relationship maintained by both organisations for more than two decades. As Javier González, Director of Training and Employment at Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, stated: “Collaboration between our institutions strengthens the international dimension of construction training, promoting skills recognition, mobility, sustainability, digitalisation and excellence in European projects.”