SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 5th April. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, Poli Suárez, disclosed on Friday that a request will be made to the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports for the Canary Islands to host an upcoming edition of the national vocational skills competition. FP (Spainskills) or at the European (EuroSkills) or global (WorldSkills) levels.
Suárez made this announcement during the reception for the team set to represent the islands in the ‘Spainskills 2024’ championship, scheduled in Madrid from 9th to 13th April, as a “acknowledgment of the extensive work being carried out” by students and teachers as well as their talent.
“We need to bridge the gap and demonstrate to the world that the Canary Islands are more than just two thousand kilometers away from Madrid, that we offer more than just sun and beaches and that there is substantial potential here,” he stated.
Furthermore, the minister praised the team for their dedication and wished them luck, consisting of 35 students from around twenty centres and various professional backgrounds who secured the gold medal in the regional ‘Canarias Skills 2023’ and represent the largest Canarian delegation in the history of the competition organized by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports to promote FP.
“Vocational training has proven to be the future, and the Government of the Canary Islands must continue to invest in it,” Poli Suárez conveyed, who will soon unveil the new Vocational Training Map of the islands.
Out of the thirty participating Canarian students, seventeen hail from Tenerife; thirteen are from Gran Canaria, and another four (two from each) from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
Concerning the institutions, nine are located in Tenerife and an equal number in Gran Canaria, one in Lanzarote and one in Fuerteventura, as per a communique from the Ministry.
MORE THAN THIRTY INSTRUCTORS
The students will be accompanied by 32 tutors/coaches and will compete against the top students who qualified in the regional phases across the rest of Spain, showcasing skills related to their area of study in the tests to be held at IFEMA Madrid to secure a spot in the team representing Spain in the ‘EuroSkills’ and ‘WorldSkills 2025’ competitions, set in Herning and Lyon, respectively, from 9th to 13th September of the same year.
Moreover, they originate from the Integrated Vocational Training Centers (CIFP) Virgen de Candelaria, Zonzamas, San Cristóbal, Las Indias, Majada Marcial, Cesar Manrique and the Secondary Education Institutes (IES) Tacoronte Óscar Domínguez, Amurga, El Rincón, Arucas Domingo Rivero, Geneto, Mencey Bencomo, Las Galletas, La Minilla, Faro De Maspalomas, José Zerpa, Mencey Bencomo, Ingenio, Puerto de la Cruz Telesforo Bravo and Lomo La Herradura, as well as the Private School for Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Education (CPEIPS) San Juan Bosco.
The competition categories in which the Canarian contingent will participate in the national gathering include mechatronics, CNC milling, welding, bodywork repair, plumbing and heating, electronics, web development, electrical installations, industrial control, cabinetmaking, carpentry, floristry, hairdressing, aesthetics, fashion technology, automobile technology, cooking, restaurant and bar service, automobile painting, landscape gardening, refrigeration and air conditioning, ICT network systems administration, socio-health care, window dressing, bakery, 3D animation and games, and hotel reception.
As for the demonstration categories, they will involve CLOUD computing, renewable energy, heavy vehicle technology, collaborative robotics, pharmacy and parapharmacy.
The event on Friday, held at the premises of the Government’s headquarters in Tenerife, was also attended by the Deputy Minister of Vocational Training and Professional Qualifications, Francisco Rodríguez Machado; the Director-General of Vocational Training and Special Regime Education, Ainhoa Molina; the individual responsible for the FP service at the skills competition within the mentioned vice-ministry, Gustavo Torres, and the teacher at the Geneto Secondary Education Institute (IES), Ángel Antonio de Paz.
