Higher vocational training at university

UVic-UCC has begun a process to integrate advanced vocational training into the university structure in a project that aims on the one hand to enhance the status of advanced vocational training cycles (AVTCs) as higher education studies, to make the pathways between these studies and degree courses more transparent, and finally, to consolidate a diverse and high quality range of advanced vocational training at the University. According to the rector of UVic-UCC, Josep Eladi Baños, "when we added the training cycles to our range of higher education in 2015, we did so with the specific intention of being able to provide training for different professional profiles in the same area of expertise, in the same way as other European universities do."

Antoni Llobet Mercadé, the deputy general manager of the Bages University Foundation, has been the Rector's representative involved in implementing AVTCs at UVic-UCC since last February.

This initiative is a step towards promoting a more comprehensive and integrated view of the entire range of higher education studies. It aims to move decisively towards designing tracks that include the two types of studies (degree courses and AVTCs) so that they can be taken simultaneously or consecutively, with recognition of the subjects and credits taken.

"2+3" tracks

These combined tracks have been christened "2+3", and provide an opportunity to study an AVTC and a university bachelor's degree course in the same branch of knowledge consecutively over 5 academic years: 2 for the advanced vocational training cycle and a further 3 for the bachelor's degree. Students can currently access the bachelor's degrees in Pre-School Teaching and BAM taught at the Manresa campus from the AVTCs in Pre-primary Education and Administration and Finance, respectively. In the future, this option will be available to people wishing to access other bachelor's degree courses at University from AVTCs.

However, the aim is not only to establish a formal relationship, but rather to go further, by fostering coordination between teaching teams of different types of studies in the same area of knowledge, to share methodologies and carry out activities together, among other ideas.

Extension of studies based on criteria of opportunity and co-operation with the region

The aim in the medium term is to increase the range of AVTCs taught at the University, either exclusively within the university structure or in partnership with other institutions. New studies will be created based on criteria of distinctiveness, i.e. not duplicating a course that already exists in the region, as well as meeting the labour market's needs, in addition to strategic opportunities for either the region or for the University.

UVic-UCC currently has around 300 students on AVTCs at three centres - Kreas, in Olot; Teknos, in Vic and Granollers; and the UManresa Professional Campus, in the capital of the Bages region, all of which operate under the umbrella of the UVic-UCC Professional Campus. It provides specialist training in Processes and quality in the food industry, 3D animations, games and interactive environments, Multiplatform applications development, Marketing and Advertising, Dental prostheses, Pre-School Teaching and Administration and Finance. "Because of their characteristics, AVTCs are studies which have deep roots in the territory, and create synergies with the surrounding area," says the rector, who adds that "because they are taught at the University, with the same facilities, teaching staff and methodology, this contributes to making the graduates highly competent and valued by companies, which is a good calling card for entry to the labour market."

A project that seeks to establish partnerships with vocational training centres

Apart from its own courses on its campuses, UVic-UCC aims to establish partnerships with centres teaching AVTCs. Antoni Llobet points out that UVic-UCC, "as a higher education institution, aims to contribute to fostering the public appreciation and social prestige of advanced vocational studies. This is a task that must be done in partnership with centres that are experts in vocational training."

Plans are in place to create the "UVic-UCC Associated Centre" hallmark to highlight the relationships between the various parties involved in advanced vocational training, in terms of their shared use of facilities, activities and teaching. Llobet believes that "the ultimate goal of establishing partnerships with higher vocational training centres is to improve the quality of the training offered to students, while ensuring that the methodology and content are suitable for their needs in terms of personal development and integration into the labour market."

Implementing this project will require changes in the institution's internal and external communication. Information about bachelor's degree courses and AVTCs is to be included on corporate websites, in materials and messages used in marketing campaigns, and in internal and external communications with present and potential students, with counsellors and tutors at secondary schools, with families, with the media, etc.