- 2019Implementation
- 2020Implementation
- 2021Implementation
- 2022Implementation
- 2023Implementation
- 2024Implementation
Objectives
To facilitate access to educational resources that are specifically used for distance learning or education processes.
Description
In education authority VET, the education community can find and create structured teaching material ready to be downloaded and used by teachers and learners in Procomún, the Repository of open educational resources (OER) of the ministry, operated by the National Institute for Education Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF). Another initiative is the Educational Technology Observatory, which provides a virtual library with articles for teachers written by teachers about how to use digital innovation in non-university education. The National Centre of Curriculum Development in No Proprietary Systems (CeDeC) - dependent on the INTEF and the Government of Extremadura - has started to publish VET OERs closely related to new active methodologies. This offer is intended to match the needs of different curricula and aims at promoting social networking to aid the exchange of experiences and resources between teachers.
The EDIA (educational, digital, innovative and open) project of the CeDeC promotes and supports the creation of dynamics of digital and methodological transformation in schools to improve student learning and promote new education centre models. It offers an educational content bank, also for VET. These are open educational resources, curriculum-referenced, with approaches linked to active methodologies and the promotion of digital competence in the classroom. It also supports the creation of teacher networks to...
In education authority VET, the education community can find and create structured teaching material ready to be downloaded and used by teachers and learners in Procomún, the Repository of open educational resources (OER) of the ministry, operated by the National Institute for Education Technologies and Teacher Training (INTEF). Another initiative is the Educational Technology Observatory, which provides a virtual library with articles for teachers written by teachers about how to use digital innovation in non-university education. The National Centre of Curriculum Development in No Proprietary Systems (CeDeC) - dependent on the INTEF and the Government of Extremadura - has started to publish VET OERs closely related to new active methodologies. This offer is intended to match the needs of different curricula and aims at promoting social networking to aid the exchange of experiences and resources between teachers.
The EDIA (educational, digital, innovative and open) project of the CeDeC promotes and supports the creation of dynamics of digital and methodological transformation in schools to improve student learning and promote new education centre models. It offers an educational content bank, also for VET. These are open educational resources, curriculum-referenced, with approaches linked to active methodologies and the promotion of digital competence in the classroom. It also supports the creation of teacher networks to promote innovation in the classroom and bringing in educational and information technologies into teaching by teachers.
At the end of 2019, the AseguraTIC (Secure ICT) website was presented, an initiative promoted by the education ministry, related to action 7, Cybersecurity in education, included in the Digital education action plan (COM/2018/022 final). It was developed through INTEF and the Spanish Agency for Data Protection (Agencia Española de Protección de Datos, AEPD) plus the participation and collaboration of other public and private entities. This website is aimed at families, students, educators and education authorities to gather in a single digital space a wide collection of materials, provided by the participating entities, related to the safety of minors in digital media. The website incorporates a search-selective engine to find resources easily according to the topic, type of resource, recipients, education stage, source or licence for use.
As part of the EDIA project, the following open educational resources have been published aimed at Flipped Classroom and the professional training and guidance module (Formación y orientación laboral - FOL), included in all IVET programmes, such as Prevention of occupational risks, Labour legislation, and searching for a job.
The General Secretariat for VET has a repository with material for 104 VET diplomas specifically designed for e-learning. In 2019 the updating of this material started, as well as the elaboration of new materials for 70 other VET diplomas.
In 2020, CEDEC published a total of 57 open educational resources as part of the EDIA project, whose objective is the methodological and digital transformation of classrooms. Through proposals based on active methodologies, curricular projects have been developed and referenced, such as the vocational training materials on Business and entrepreneurship.
A practical guide to licences for teachers has also been published, aimed mainly at teachers.
The Procomún Portal continues to offer open educational resources (OER) and articles on educational topics, catalogued in a standard format, classified by area of knowledge and educational context, and with a CC BY-SA licence, which allows users to use, distribute and modify the materials, as long as they acknowledge authorship. Users have continued to be encouraged to share their materials on this network of open educational resources, which already has more than 40 000 users, 95 000 resources and access to a multimedia bank with more than 100 000 objects.
In March 2020, a new website, Resources for online learning, was published to meet the special needs that arose due to the closure of education centres during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this space is to provide teachers, families and students with information and support on different types of resources (materials, training courses, platforms, tools) available for online use.
The Procomún portal continued to offer open education resources (OER) and articles on education topics, catalogued in a standard format. About 1 000 new learning resources were published.
In 2021, CEDEC published 29 open education resources as part of the EDIA project, whose objective is the methodological and digital transformation of classrooms. Through proposals based on active methodologies, curricular projects have been developed and referenced, such as the vocational training materials on business and entrepreneurship.
The education ministry and the Autonomous Communities collaborated on a project to update curricular materials associated with IVET programmes delivered in the distance learning modality. Materials are not publicly available but are listed in the ministry database and are accessible to regional authorities, which disseminate them to their education centres.
Users have published their educational materials in the Procomún open educational resources network (OER), which already hosts more than 45,000 records. During the year 2022, 2,393 learning resources and 135 articles were added to the repository. It also provides access to a multimedia bank with more than 100,000 objects.
All of them are catalogued in standard format, classified by area of knowledge and educational context, and licensed under CC BY-SA, which allows users to use, distribute and modify the materials, as long as they acknowledge authorship.
During this period, new educational resource projects have been created to support teachers in the online learning of various subjects:
- - didactic itineraries (1,215 resources).
- - INTEF, camera and action (153 programs and 765 videos)
- - MatesGG (912 guides)
The creation of educational resources in digital format is a specific line of the plan for the digitalisation and digital competences of the education system (#DigEdu Plan) which is one of the actions included in Spain´s NIP.
In 2022, the EDIA project (Cedec) has also increased the number of open educational resources offered to teachers, to foster a methodological and digital transformation in education. Other resources such as rubrics and other assessment documents, infographics and articles have also been published.
INTEF explored how to integrate a web search engine to facilitate the location of the resources available in its projects, allowing easier and more intuitive access to the educational resources and making them more visible, expected by 2023.
The development and promotion of online teaching material in Spain responded to the increasing need for digitalisation in education. During 2023, INTEF increased the publication of diverse online education resources to support teachers with the following initiatives:
- Procomún: 1 947 publications;
- Camera and action: 200 programmes;
- MatesGG: 200 guides;
- Open Education Resources (OER): 23 projects;
- Future Classroom: 97 resources and experiences;
- CEDEC: 152 rubrics and 28 infographics;
- Inspiring Educational Experiences: 38;
- Educational Technology Observatory 20;
- AseguraTIC: 102 resources.
The shift towards blended and remote learning environments also required new approaches to ensure that teachers and students engage with content effectively outside traditional classrooms. Teachers were encouraged to participate in online learning communities, where they could exchange resources, experiences, and best practices related to the use of digital content.
A new 30-hour training course on sustainability for VET teachers has been developed in collaboration with the Naturgy Foundation, a member of the Alliance for VET. It consists of 21 hours of synchronous online sessions and 9 hours of individual work. The first edition, taking place in October and November, attracted nearly 300 VET teachers and is recognised by the education ministry (INTEF).
In addition, the Naturgy Foundation developed eight online training modules that provide students with state-of-the-art technical knowledge and certification in areas such as sustainable mobility, sustainable renovation and construction, renewable gases, digitalisation of electricity networks, energy consultancy for vulnerable environments, installation and maintenance of solar panels, green and digital gas networks, and sustainability applied to the productive system.
Online sessions are followed by a presentation format, where the trainer explains the session's contents, interacts with the participants, and answers questions. The sessions alternate between more practical cases, where participants can present their thoughts on and solutions to previously raised problems, and learning by doing with real problems.
Development of online teaching material continued.
Data not available yet.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (until 2023)
- Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports
- National Institute of Qualifications (INCUAL)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Adult learners
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- School leaders
- Adult educators
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
This thematic sub-category is about the way learners learn, how the learning is delivered to them, and by what means. Programmes become more accessible through a combination of adaptable and flexible formats (e.g. face-to-face, digital and/or blended learning), through digital learning platforms that allow better outreach, especially for vulnerable groups and for learners in geographically remote or rural areas.
This thematic sub-category focuses on developing and updating all kinds of learning resources and materials, both for learners and for teachers and trainers (e.g. teachers handbooks or manuals), to embrace current and evolving content and modes of learning. These activities target all kinds of formats: hard copy and digital publications, learning websites and platforms, tools for learner self-assessment of progress, ICT-based simulators, virtual and augmented reality, etc.
This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).
Green transition and environmental sustainability have a significant place in the EU agenda (Green Deal), including the agenda for VET. This thematic sub-category refers to identifying in cooperation with industry, incorporating into VET curricula and programmes and teaching the skills related and needed for the green transition, including sector- and occupation-specific skills and those across sectors. It covers measures aimed at ‘greening’ VET programmes, including awareness and knowledge about climate change, green technologies and innovation, energy efficiency, circular economy and environmental sustainability. It also includes the use of appropriate learning methods that develop such awareness.
Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences
Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.
This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.
The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.
European priorities in VET
VET Recommendation
- Flexibility and progression opportunities at the core of VET
- VET as an attractive choice based on modern and digitalised provision of training and skills
Osnabrück Declaration
- Establishing a new lifelong learning culture - relevance of continuing VET and digitalisation
- Sustainability - a green link in VET
Subsystem
Further reading
Country
Type of development
Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Online teaching material: Spain. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].
https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/28694