IES Mediterrània hosts a day to strengthen the links between vocational training centers and the business sector

IES Mediterrània school in Benidorm hosted the Talent SME Hospitality and Tourism event this Wednesday, bringing together companies and educational centres from across the province of Alicante and the Valencian Community to connect the productive sectors with the academic world and with students who will be entering the job market in the very near future.

The event is part of a program promoted by the General Directorate of Vocational Training to strengthen ties between Vocational Training centres in the Valencian Community and the business sector, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A total of 50 similar events are being held throughout the region.

The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, participated in the event's opening, along with the Councillor for Education, Maite Moreno; the Deputy Director General of Vocational Training, Pepe Muñoz; the education inspector, Ana García; and the principal of IES Mediterrània, Julio Barrachina.

These workshops were created to build a transformative vocational training system, capable of responding to the real challenges of the labor market, generating an impact on the productive environment, and enhancing student talent through direct collaboration with companies.”

At the opening, the mayor highlighted that IES Mediterrània is “an example of how to train personnel for the tourism sector”. He emphasised that the city has “highly qualified professionals eager to work and keen to continue their training to keep improving,” which contributes, among other things, to the fact that “in 2025 we will once again break employment records, register new Social Security contributions, and have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire country.”

Toni Pérez stressed that the centre has become “a meeting point for training and business innovation in the tourism sector” and considered tourism to be “an opportunity for the present and future, a field in which it is worthwhile to train and specialise because professionalism is a growing asset.” "The time to enter the job market, settle in, and advance." The mayor also expressed his conviction that the day would be "very productive."

For his part, Pepe Muñoz referred to the new Vocational Training Law being drafted by the regional government, which "highlights the important role of businesses, as well as that of educational institutions, as those responsible for education and training." Muñoz stated that this law will also emphasise "motivation and ensuring that training closely resembles what students will encounter in the job market."

Julio Barrachina, the school's director, also highlighted the importance of these days "for reflection and the exchange of ideas" and praised "the work of the hospitality and tourism families at our school in recent weeks." "It's an honour to be part of this team," he concluded.