H&T Presspart Tarragona: Pioneer in introducing the dual vocational training system in Spain

Since 1 September 2016 H&T Presspart Tarragona, Spain, has for the first time been offering young people a commercial or technical training course within the dual vocational training system, based on the German model.

“With this vocational training system, still quite new in Spain, we would like to ensure the succession of the next generation of young skilled workers for our companies and help cut the high youth unemployment rate in Spain“, said Thomas Portune, Managing Director H&T Presspart Tarragona.

The training is conducted within the framework of a two-year apprenticeship in two locations. Two to four days a week practical training is given at H&T Presspart Tarragona. To ensure the quality of the in-house training course, an internal apprentices instructor has been appointed. One to two days a week the apprentices are taught theoretical knowledge at the technical vocational college Pere Martell in Tarragona and the vocational commercial school Intermunicipal in Sant Sadurni de Anoia. At the end of the course they take a final examination in both practical and theoretical knowledge. During the apprenticeship period H&T Presspart Tarragona gives the apprentices a training allowance to help them support themselves. After successfully completing their vocational training the students stand an excellent chance of finding permanent employment as skilled workers at H&T Presspart Tarragona.

“Depending on how this goes we are planning on increasing the number of training places in the future. Encouraged by the many years of positive experiences with the program made by our sister companies in Germany and Great Britain, we are confident that we will be successful in establishing the dual training program in Spain too“, said Victor Torres, Managing Director H&T Presspart Tarragona.

To ensure the quality of the still relatively new dual vocational training system over the long term, the German Bertelsmann Stiftung, together with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the Spanish Confederation of Employers CEOE and the Princess of Girona Foundation, initiated the "Alliance for Dual Vocational Training". H&T Presspart Tarragona is also a member of this network of companies, schools and associations and thus one of the pioneers of the dual vocational training system in Spain.