In recent years, vocational training (VET) has experienced a notable boom in Spain, especially in the private sector. According to the latest FPAnálisis report, prepared by CaixaBank Dualiza in collaboration with Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness, enrolment in private vocational training centres has increased exponentially.
The study provides a detailed analysis of the vocational training landscape in the country, including ownership of centres and changes in enrolments from the academic year 2013-14 to 2022-23. The data reveals a spectacular growth of 467.5% of students enrolled in non-subsidized private centers, which increased from 39,941 to 226,661 students.In comparison, public centers saw an increase of 31.1% (from 542,203 to 710,601 students), while subsidized private centers increased by 23.3% (from 116,550 to 143,701 registrations).
This unprecedented growth in private vocational training is largely due to its high employability rate. According to the National Institute of Statistics (INE), graduates of Intermediate Training Cycles have an employment rate of 74%, while those of the Higher Diploma reach 79%. These data reflect a clear advantage of vocational training over university education in terms of job placement.
The main reason for this high employability lies in the practical nature VET studies, which focus on the acquisition of technical skills directly applicable in the work environment. Unlike university programs, which tend to be more theoretical, vocational training offers specific training that responds more effectively to the demands of the labor market. In a context where companies increasingly value technical knowledge, vocational training is emerging as an attractive and effective solution to cover this need.
The report highlights how this trend of increasing enrolment in private VET reflects a change in the educational and professional preferences of students and their families, as well as a growing recognition of VET as a viable and valuable alternative for professional development in Spain.
Globally, During the 2022-2023 academic year, 65.7% of registrations in Initial Vocational Training (FPI) centers were carried out in public centers, while 21% corresponded to non-subsidized private centers. and 13.3% to subsidized private centers. Thus, almost two-thirds of enrollments were concentrated in public centers, while one-third took place in private centers (subsidized and non-subsidized). Although the majority of students enroll in public centers, non-subsidized private centers are gradually gaining importance in terms of enrollment. Between the academic years 2013-2014 and 2022-2023, the largest cumulative increase in enrollment was observed in non-subsidized private centers (467.5%), followed by public centers (31.1%) and concerted private centers (23.3%). This indicates that the proportion of students in private schools has increased over time.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, the remote enrollment modality (52%) also exceeded the in-person enrollment modality by 4 percentage points. In addition, Private, non-subsidized centers accounted for 57.9% of registrations in this modality, experiencing a cumulative growth of approximately 3,000% compared to the 2013-2014 academic year.
The rise of private registrations in health training cycles
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the family of health professionals clearly stood out in the cycles, with 60.4% of its students enrolled in private centers. This figure is not only the highest in its category, but also reflects a broader trend of differentiation of enrollments by professional families according to the ownership of the educational center.
Available data show that some professional families are concentrated almost exclusively in public centres. Clear examples are Glass and Ceramics, Arts and Crafts, Maritime-Fisheries, Energy and Water, Chemistry and Food Industries, where over 90% of enrolments are in public centres. These fields often require specialised and expensive facilities, which can limit their attractiveness to private centres, particularly where student demand is not as high.
On the other hand, professional families such as Health, Image and Sound, Physical and Sports Activities and Commerce and Marketing show an opposite trend, with a percentage of attendance at private centres higher than the general average of 34.3%. In the case of Health, this professional family represents 20.3% of the total workforce in PF, which underlines the relevance of private ownership in this area.
This phenomenon can be explained by several factors. First, The strong student demand in certain fields such as Health increases its attractiveness for private centers, because it guarantees greater profitability. In addition, the ability to invest in infrastructure, such as laboratories and specialized equipment, is a crucial element. Private centers, which have greater freedom to manage their resources and adjust tuition fees, can meet these investments more efficiently when demand justifies it.
In contrast, in areas with lower enrollment, the high cost of specialized facilities may discourage private centers from offering these training cycles, leaving this area in the hands of public centers. This dynamic, influenced by both demand and investment costs, continues to shape an educational landscape where the choice of center can depend on both the field of study and its ownership.
Exponential growth in higher education enrollment in private, unsubsidized centers
The Higher Diploma in Vocational Training has seen a notable increase in enrollment, especially in non-subsidized private centers, which have recorded an impressive growth of 481.1% over the last ten years. This figure stands out greatly compared to the 29.3% increase in public centers and the modest 8% in subsidized private centers, which highlights a significant change in students’ preference for this educational modality.
When analyzing vocational training enrollments by level, marked differences are observed both in the most recent data for the 2022-2023 academic year and in the growth accumulated over the last decade. In the case of the basic diploma, public centers continue to dominate with 60,063 students enrolled for the 2022-2023 academic year. However, the accumulated growth in these centers, of 89% since the 2013-2014 academic year, is considerably lower than the 130% increase recorded in subsidized private centers, which concentrated 23.5% of enrollments in the first basic cycle during the same period. On the other hand, non-subsidized private centers are almost non-existent at this level, with enrollment that represents only 0.2%.
At the middle and upper levels, the trend is clear: unsubsidized private centers are leading the accumulated growth.with an increase of 435.4% in intermediate quality and 481.1% in high quality. These increases are notable when compared to those of public centers, which experienced a growth of 10.5% at the intermediate level and 29.3% at the high level, and to those of subsidized private centers, which recorded increases of 7.1% and 8% respectively.
This growth in private, unsubsidized centers can be linked to several factors, including the ability of these centers to adapt quickly to labor market demands and the growing perception that they offer more specialized and job-oriented training. In addition, Flexibility in resource management and the ability to offer more personalized programs could attract increasing numbers of students.
Inequality in the distribution of vulnerable students
During the 2021-2022 academic year, public centres stood out for welcoming a greater proportion of students belonging to groups at risk of social exclusion, such as foreigners and students with special educational support needs (NEAE), particularly in the basic vocational training diploma. (FP). This trend highlights the crucial role that public schools play in the integration and support of vulnerable students within the education system.
The most recent data, although corresponding to the 2021-2022 academic year, reveal that It is in the basic class that the enrollment of students registered with the NEAE has increased the most, representing 31% of this group, followed by an increase of 10.6% among foreign students. At this educational level, subsidized private centers also saw an increase in enrollments of these groups, unlike non-subsidized private centers, where a decrease in enrollments was observed for all groups analyzed.
In contrast, at the intermediate level, the trend reverses: private unsubsidized centers recorded the highest growth in student enrollment among these groups. Women dominated this increase with a staggering 219.7%, followed by international students (152.2%) and those with NEAE (129.7%). This pattern of growth of private unsubsidized centers continues at the higher level, but with an even greater emphasis on students with NEAE, whose enrollment increased by 219.3%, followed by international students (183.8%) and women (134.4%).
