Vocational training and innovation system

  • Funding Agency: Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Government of Spain
  • Principal investigator: Ignasi Brunet
  • Team members: Ignasi Brunet; Rafael Böcker; Manuel Ahedo; Carlos Gómez Bahillo; Nuria del Olmo
  • Execution period: 2012-2014
  • Reference: CSO2011-29410-C03-02

The low level of intermediate skills, compared to OECD mean, and the predominance of small and medium scale companies (SMEs) in the industrial fabric are both important aspects of the Spanish economic model. Training and innovation (as well as relation between both of them) are part of the solution that has to be taken to respond to the current challenges. But how can this response be developed? How is it working nowadays training and innovation system? In which apects can them be improved? This project aims to com up with proposals to answer the previous questions.  

The project "Vocational training and innovation system: the role of workers with intermediate skills in the industrial SMEs innovation processes. The cases of Catalonia and Aragon" is part of a bigger project leaded by the Basque Country University which studies six regions: Asturias, the Basque Country, Navarra, Aragon, Catalonia and Madrid. All of these regions have a high level of activity in the sectors mentioned and most of them are the most industrialized regions in Spain. 

1. El objetivo principal es analizar las relaciones entre el sistema de formación profesional (tanto reglada como continua o para el empleo) y las empresas industriales de sectores de intensidad tecnológica media y alta en España, con especial atención a su influencia sobre los procesos de innovación en las empresas. Se estudiarán seis comunidades autónomas (CCAA) españolas: Asturias, País Vasco, Navarra, Aragón, Cataluña y Madrid. Todas estas CCAA tienen niveles importantes de actividad en dichos sectores, y entre ellas se incluyen las regiones más industrializadas. El proyecto tiene los siguientes objetivos específicos:
2. Análisis de las relaciones entre el sistema de formación profesional reglada y las pymes industriales
3. Análisis de las relaciones entre el sistema de formación continua (o para el empleo) y las pymes industriales
4. Análisis de las relaciones entre los mencionados subsistemas de formación
5. Análisis del papel de los trabajadores con cualificaciones intermedias (postobligatorias pero anteriores a los estudios de licenciatura) en las pymes industriales, con especial atención a su papel y contribución en los procesos de innovación (de producto, de proceso, de mercado y organizativa)
6. Estudio comparado de las relaciones entre el sistema de formación y el sistema de innovación en seis CCAA españolas

The main objective is to analyse the relations between the vocational training system (vocational training, general occupational training and ongoing professional training) and industrial firms of high and medium technological intensity in Spain, paying special attention to their influence in innovation processes in the companies. Furthermore, the project has de following specific objectives:

  • Analysis of the relation between the vocational training and industrial SMEs.
  • Analysis of the relation between general occupational training (or ongoing professional training) and industrials SMEs.
  • Analysis of the relation between the training systems mentioned before.
  • Analysis of the role of the workers with intermediate skills (non degree studies but post-compulsory) in the industrial SMEs, paying special attention to their contribution to innovation (product, process, market and organizational innovation).
  • Comparative study on relations between both training and innovation system in six regions in Spain.