Training Check

Name of the instrument - Local language: Cheque Formación
Name of the instrument - English translation: Training Check
Scheme ID: 356
Country: Spain
Reporting year: 2020
Type of instrument: Grant for individuals
Sub-type of instrument: Lump-sum support
Type of entry: Single instrument

Short description: According to general national legislation, the training check targets the unemployed. The pilot project applied in 2019 targets unemployed persons interested in obtaining a professional certificate (for officially accrediting informal skills) in the professional field 'trade and marketing', and living in the autonomous community of Madrid. It is regional public employment services officers that assess candidates to take part in the training check following their professional path. No preferential treatment is applied for a particular eligible group. National legislation does not specify costs covered. In the pilot project developed by the autonomous community of Madrid in 2019, types of learning content eligible referred to courses aimed at obtaining the professional certificate (for officially accrediting informal skills) in the 'trade and marketing' professional field.

Level of operation

Regional

Name of a part of the country

Not applicable

Name of the region (for regional instruments)

Autonomous Community of Madrid

Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)

Not applicable

Relevance

Further instrument

Legal basis

Law 30/2015, of September 9, 2015, regulating the Vocational Training for Employment System, subsequently complemented by the Royal Decree 694/2017.

Objective(s) and target(s)

The objective of the training check in Madrid is helping the unemployed to obtain a professional certificate, having the freedom to choose the training centre and the time of the year to attend such training. A professional certificate is an official certificate which accredits professional qualifications and competences acquired informally via working experience.

Year of implementation

2019

Operation/management

The training check is a pilot project launched by the Regional Government of Madrid in 2019. The project started focusing on the 'trade and marketing' field, but it was expected that the project would be progressively implemented in further professional fields. Government bodies and agencies involved are the Regional Government of Madrid, and particularly the Department of Economy and Employment, together with regional public employment services. Also, regional business representatives and trade unions were consulted and informed on the contents of the training check pilot project. Public authorities are responsible for selecting accredited training centres. Also, it is public employment services that select candidates (unemployed persons) to take part in these courses, depending on their previous professional path. The funds are directly provided to the training centre. Training actions are completely free for students.

Eligible group(s)

According to general national legislation, the training check targets the unemployed. The pilot project applied in 2019 targets unemployed persons interested in obtaining a professional certificate (for officially accrediting informal skills) in the professional field 'trade and marketing', and living in the autonomous community of Madrid. It is regional public employment services officers that assess candidates to take part in the training check following their professional path.

Group(s) with preferential treatment

No preferential treatment

Education and training eligible

In the pilot project developed by the autonomous community of Madrid in 2019, types of learning content eligible referred to courses aimed at obtaining the professional certificate (for officially accrediting informal skills) in the 'trade and marketing' professional field. Training courses aimed at obtaining the so-called "professional certificates" are usually short courses (10-50 hours), either on a face-to-face or distance-learning basis.

Source of financing and collection mechanism

The source of funding is the Regional Government of Madrid.

Financing formula and allocation mechanisms

According to the provisions contained in the Law 30/2015, the competent public employment services may, as an alternative to the calls for subsidies, provide a "training check" to unemployed workers that, according to their profile, accredit them to carry out specific training actions aimed at improving their employability. With the training check, the worker can access the 'virtual office', where she/he can enrol into the training entity selected by him/her from among those training providers who meet the accreditation and/or registration requirements established by the competent Administration. The financial funds are directly provided to the training centre (the unemployed worker does not receive any money). The initial call for tenders (2018) for the pilot project set a base budget of EUR 6.08 per hour and per student for training centres

Eligible costs

National legislation does not specify costs covered. In the pilot project developed by the autonomous community of Madrid in 2019, types of learning content eligible referred to courses aimed at obtaining the professional certificate (for officially accrediting informal skills) in the 'trade and marketing' professional field.

Volumes of funding

The training check pilot project applied by the Regional Government of Madrid, which had initially (2019) allocated EUR 6 000 000 for the following 2 years to implement and further extend the project. For the pilot experience started in 2019 and focused on 'commerce and marketing', a budget of EUR 2 970 080 was envisaged.

Beneficiaries/take up

When the pilot project was launched, the idea was to train almost 2 000 people in the two coming years (1 000 in 2019, estimated). Unfortunately, there are no more details on this.

Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation

Comunidad de Madrid (Regional Government of Madrid), Department of Economy and Employment

Most relevant webpage - in English

Not available

Most relevant webpage - local language