The Junta de Andalucía invests 14 million in the Integrated Aerospace Vocational Training Centre, the second largest investment in a public educational centre

The Regional Minister has highlighted that it is a pioneering centre in Andalusia and a reference in Spain

The Regional Minister for Educational Development and Vocational Training, María del Carmen Castillo, has informed Parliament that the Javier Imbroda Integrated Aerospace Vocational Training Centre, located in La Rinconada (Seville), is the largest investment in public educational infrastructure in recent years with nearly 14 million euros and the second in the history of Andalusia. In addition, it is a pioneering centre in Andalusia and a reference in Spain that is already offering new opportunities to young Andalusians in technology and innovation. It joins an Andalusian network of integrated centres already made up of nine centres. Since 2019, four have been created: Campanillas (Málaga), El Arenal (Dos Hermanas, Seville), Almeraya (Almería) and Javier Imbroda (La Rinconada, Seville). They joined the already existing Zaporito (San Fernando, Cádiz), Hurtado de Mendoza (Granada), Aynadamar (Granada), José Luis Graíño (Huelva) and Los Viveros (Seville).

Castillo has pointed out that the centre has been built and managed by the Junta de Andalucía, financed with European funds and built on land ceded by the City Council of La Rinconada, “an example of the success of cooperation between administrations.” It has also had the collaboration of the teachers of the Aeronautics cycle of the IES La Rinconada and of companies in the aeronautical sector, “which has been fundamental for its launch,” he said.

The new Integrated Centre will have 12 training cycles of Intermediate and Higher Grade and both FP of the educational system and Vocational Training for Employment, combining all the teachings related to the aeronautical sector and the professional family of Transport and Vehicle Maintenance.

In her speech, the Regional Minister explained that this centre was created with the intention of being a source of innovation and experimentation, anticipating changes in trends, inspiring other vocational training centres and contributing to a more competitive Andalusia with better employment. In this regard, Castillo indicated that “the objective is to offer qualified employment to students, and to make Seville an attraction for technology-based companies.”

Likewise, the head of Educational Development and Vocational Training reported that the choice of La Rinconada for this centre is not a coincidence, since the San Pablo Airport, the Aerópolis Aerospace Technology Park, the EADS-CASA factory and the Ryanair maintenance centre are located there, in addition to the fact that Seville has been designated as the headquarters of the Spanish Space Agency.

In this regard, Castillo stated that “the aerospace sector has enormous growth potential and from the Junta we try to contribute by combining the public with the private, where vocational training plays a key role.”

In this way, Vocational Training has to be an attraction for young people and for Andalusian companies and the councillor has recalled that six years ago there are more places, more teachers and new cycles with greater employability and more adapted to what the labour market demands.

Specifically, she has pointed out that this course has the largest offer of FP that has been made in the Andalusian community with almost 168,000 new entry places. Since 2019, 47,000 more places have been created, more than 3,000 teachers have been incorporated and there are 880 new cycles. “Only in the province of Seville there are almost 10,000 more FP places than six years ago.”