The purpose of Advanced Vocational Training (VT) (within vocational education programmes), and Vocational Education in Plastic Arts and Design and Advanced Vocational Education in Sports (both within specialised education) is for the student to obtain specialised training that enables him/her to carry out various professions in a qualified manner.

They belong to level 1 of the Spanish Qualification Framework for Higher Education (MECES), and they are defined according to the following learning outcomes:

• having proved the acquisition of specialised knowledge related to a professional or study field, showing critical understanding towards the integration and transfer of knowledge, as well as towards the development of creativity, personal initiative and entrepreneurial spirit;
• applying and assimilating technical knowledge in order to define and develop work procedures autonomously in the relevant professional field being responsible for the coordination and supervision of specialised technical work;
• being able to analyse the necessary information to evaluate and handle expected and unexpected situations, looking for essential, creative and innovative solutions within the relevant professional area;
• being able to communicate their knowledge, ideas, skills and operational procedures to their peers, supervisors, clients and subordinates;
• having acquired the necessary skills to engage in further education autonomously, showing maturity to innovate in the application of these skills and to progress to higher training levels.

Branches of study

They provide a specific professional qualification that is registered in the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP).

It is structured in a series of training cycles organised into vocational modules and classified as follows:

Drawn up by Eurydice Spain-Spanish Network for Information on Education (National Institute for Educational Evaluation, Ministry of Education and Vocational Training) based on current regulations.

There are advanced training cycles within the dual vocational training modality.

Admission requirements

Advanced VT

Access to, and admission to, advanced training cycles are highly flexible in order to allow the configuration of training paths adapted to personal needs and interests, as well as the transition from training to work and vice versa.

Access to advanced vocational training requires one of the following conditions:

• a Baccalaureate diploma or an equivalent one;
• an intermediate level vocational training technician certificate;
• having passed a specific training course for access to advanced training cycles in public or private institutions authorised by the education administration. Students must be at least nineteen years old in the year in which they complete the academic year. It is aimed at people who do not meet the access requirements, respecting the principles of accessibility and non-discrimination. The successful completion of all or part of these courses has the effect of total or partial exemptions from the entrance exam. Likewise, being in possession of a certificate of professional experience related to the training cycle to be studied or accrediting a certain qualification or work experience must also be taken into account for the purposes of exemption. It has a minimum duration of 700 hours and is structured in two parts:
  • common: of instrumental character and in which at least the objectives of both Spanish and Foreign Language sections of the bachillerato programme are fully developed;
  • specific: organised into at least two options: science and technology, and humanities and social sciences. Within each option, education administrations must develop a minimum of two subjects;
• a diploma as Advanced Technician in Vocational Training or an equivalent one;
• having passed an entrance examination to advanced vocational training cycles, which has these particular features:
  1. the basic configuration of this exam is regulated by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Vocational Training (MEFP) while the regional education authorities design both the exam and the specific training course within their respective administration domains;
  2. students must be 19 (within the year they take the exam) or 18, if they already have an accredited Technician diploma in the same area of study as the programme for which they are applying;
  3. students must accredit their maturity in relation to the competences of post-compulsory secondary education;
  4. it focuses on the general objectives of Baccalaureate, as well as on the specific knowledge required for the relevant vocational training cycle;
  5. it is organised into two parts, a common and a specific one, which is designed taking the contents of the specific preparatory course as a reference framework. A candidate cannot sit the entrance examinations in more than one Autonomous Community in the same school year;
  6. necessary measures to ensure equal opportunities, non-discrimination of students with specific educational support needs and universal accessibility for people with disabilities, must be adopted, including the implementation of reasonable adjustments;
  7. the results obtained both in the preparatory course and in the examinations have official validity nationwide;
  8. the education authorities may regulate exemption from any of the two papers, in view of previous accredited training and qualifications of the candidate;
• to hold a university degree or equivalent.

The application for admission is submitted to the institution providing the chosen studies by means of an application form. In addition to stating the training cycle and the institution of preference in the first place, it is possible to apply, in order of priority, to other institutions or even to apply for other training cycles.

As for new admissions, the educational institutions offer, for each training cycle, all the authorised vacant places they have, with the exception of those that are reserved for those students who are going to repeat. If the number of places reserved for students repeating the year is greater than the percentage established by the education authority of each autonomous community, the institutions have to apply for authorisation from the unit in charge of the admission process.

When there are not enough places in the requested institution, given that there are different access routes to advanced vocational training cycles, the education authorities establish certain reserved places according to these criteria:

• of the total number of places offered, the following must be reserved:
  • a minimum of 5 per cent for athletes who accredit, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 2 and 3 of Royal Decree 971/2007, the status of high-level or high-performance athletes (in compliance with the provisions of Article 9.3.a of this royal decree);
  • a percentage for applicants with disabilities (in compliance with the provisions in section 4 of Article 75 of the LOE, as amended by the LOMLOE);
• after deduction of the above reserves, the remaining places are distributed according to the following criteria:
  • between 60 and 70 per cent of the places for students holding the Bachillerato certificate;
  • between 20 and 30 per cent of the places are held in reserve for students who have passed the access course;
  • between 10 and 20 per cent of the places for students applying for admission through other channels.

If the places reserved are not covered in any of the options, places are allocated in proportion to the rest of reserved places. The education authorities regulate the priority given to each of the students’ previous studies within the reserves described above.

Advanced vocational education in plastic arts and design

To access these studies, two requirements must be met:

1. to hold one of the following qualifications:
   • a Baccalaureate diploma or a diploma declared equivalent;
   • a diploma of Advanced Technician in Plastic Arts and Design or a diploma declared equivalent;
   • a Bachelor's degree in Applied Arts and Artistic Crafts corresponding to the 1963 study plan or experimental plan, or a degree declared equivalent;
   • a diploma as a Specialist Technician or Advanced Technician in Vocational Training, or a diploma declared equivalent;
   • a university degree or equivalent one;
2. to take and pass a specific test, from which those with any of the following qualifications are exempt:
   • Advanced Technician degree in Plastic Arts and Design from a professional family related to the studies to be pursued, or a degree declared equivalent;
   • Baccalaureate (Arts) or Experimental Artistic Baccalaureate degree;
   • higher education degree in Plastic Arts and Design, in its different specialities, or other diplomas declared equivalent;
   • higher degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, in its different specialties;
   • Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, Architecture or Technical Engineering in Industrial Design.
3. The education administrations regulate the exemption from this test for those who, being in possession of the established academic requirements, accredit having work experience of at least one year (either self-employed or employed) directly related to the professional competences of the training cycle they wish to access.

Anyone who wishes to access these courses and does not meet the established academic requirements may do so if he or she passes an access test and is at least 19 years old in the year in which the test is taken, or 18 years old if he or she holds a Technician degree related to the course to be pursued. This entrance exam consists of two parts:

• general: it covers the basic knowledge and skills of the Baccalaureate common subjects;
• specific: aimed at assessing the artistic skills and knowledge necessary for the successful completion of the relevant courses;

The education administrations regulate the exemption from this test for those who accredit having work experience of at least one year and directly related to the professional competences of the training cycle they wish to access. Those who have passed the university entrance exam for students over 25 years of age may also be exempted from the general part of the exam.

The education administrations may establish a percentage of reserve places for those who access these courses and are exempt from taking the specific access test and for those who access and do not meet the academic requirements for access.

Advanced vocational education in sports

To access these studies, two requirements must be met:

1. to hold one of the following qualifications:
   • a Baccalaureate diploma , or a diploma declared equivalent;
   • an entrance exam replacing the Baccalaureate degree to access Advanced Vocational Education in Sports;
   • second year in any Experimental Baccalaureate modality;
   • a diploma as a Specialist Technician or Advanced Technician in Vocational Training, or a diploma declared equivalent;
   • an Industrial Master’s degree or a diploma declared equivalent;
   • university entrance examination for students over 25;
   • a university degree or a diploma declared equivalent;
2. to hold the Sports Technician qualification in the corresponding sport modality or specialty.

In addition, education administrations may require the candidate to pass a specific test or to own certain sport merits that may replace this test. The type of test and the merits are determined in the regulations governing each sports degree.

Anyone who wishes to access these courses and does not hold the Baccalaureate degree may do so by passing a specific test (on the contents of the common baccalaureate subjects of the corresponding Autonomous Community). In order to take this test, a minimum age of 19 is required, as well as the title of Sports Technician in the corresponding sport modality or speciality, or 18 years when, in addition to the previous qualification, the person holds a Technician's degree related to the one he/she wishes to access.

A person who can accredit the condition of high level or high performance athlete is exempt from taking the specific test or from claiming sporting merits to replace it.

The education administrations regulate the access tests, with at least one annual call, and can offer and schedule preparation courses for these tests for those students holding a Technician degree in Sports related to the studies to be pursued.

High level or high performance athletes are exempt from performing the specific exam or arguing sports merits to replace the test.

In public institutions, when there is concurrent competition in the admission process, the final qualification obtained by the holder of the Sports Technician diploma, in the corresponding modality or specialty, is used as the admission criterion. In addition, education administrations establish the following percentages of reserved places:

• at least 5 per cent for those who accredit some degree of disability;
• at least 10 per cent for high-performance athletes. High level athletes have priority in this quota;
• at least 10 per cent for those who accredit the access test replacing the Baccalaureate degree;
• at least 10 per cent for those who accredit the validation of their Federation diploma.

Curriculum

The curriculum is determined by the different education administrations that have competence in this field: the Government, through the Ministry of Education and Professional Training (MEFP) and the Ministry of Culture and Vocational Training (MEFP) and, for advanced level sport studies, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport (MCD) as well, and the autonomous communities, through their regional education departments, and educational institutions.

For the three types of education, the Government sets the basic curriculum (compulsory minimum teaching throughout the country in terms of objectives, competences, content, assessment criteria and learning outcomes) in order to ensure common education for all pupils. These minimum teachings make up 50 per cent of the timetables in the Autonomous Communities with a co-official language and 60 per cent for those without it.

The education authorities and teaching institutions may develop and extend, within the scope of their competences, their own additional dispositions for curriculum design in each training cycle, adapting them to the socio-economic, cultural and sports context of the region and to its prospects for economic and social development. This extension must refer to training associated with the qualifications and units of competence of the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP), except in sports education in which it may also refer to training not associated with these qualifications and units of competence.

The dual vocational training programme has the following features.

Characteristics and basic contents

Advanced VT

The state provisions that establish these qualifications and determine their characteristics and basic contents must include, as a minimum, the following aspects:

• identification of the qualification: name, length of the programme, professional branch or branches to which it is associated, level within the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES) and its correspondence with the relevant European qualification frameworks;
• professional profile: general, social, personal and professional competences related; and an inventory of the professional qualifications and competence units of the National Catalogue of Professional qualifications (CNCP) included in the programme;
• working environment, which consist of, among other things, a list of jobs and positions associated with the qualification;
• prospects within the relevant production sector or in other sectors;
• programme (general objectives and configuration of the vocational modules: objectives, assessment criteria, basic contents, pedagogical guidelines, minimum length and equivalent number of ECTS credits for the purpose of validation with other levels of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education);
• basic requirements for educational facilities: work spaces, minimum equipment according to the number of students, teachers’ qualifications and areas of specialisation;
• equivalence between vocational modules and competence units for accreditation purposes;
• validation, exemption and equivalence procedures;
• information regarding requirements, according to current legislation, for professional practice;
• branches or subjects of the Baccalaureate which may contribute to admittance in case of competitive admission procedures.

Advanced vocational education in plastic arts and design

The state provisions that establish these qualifications and determine their characteristics and basic contents must include, as a minimum, the following content:

• identification of the qualification: name, level, length of the programme, professional branch and European reference;
• professional profile: general competences in the degree, professional competences and, whenever it applies, the professional relevant qualifications from the National Catalogue of Professional qualifications (CNCP) included in the programme;
• professional context;
• minimum education organised into training modules and their study load;
• numerical teacher/student ratio;
• educational skills of the members of the Plastic Arts and Design Workshop teaching staff for the provision of minimum requirements and equivalences for teaching purposes;
• validation and exemption procedures;
• access to higher level programmes.

Advanced vocational education in sports

The state provisions that establish these qualifications and determine their characteristics and basic contents must include, as a minimum, the following content:

• identification of the qualification: name, level, length of the programme, and European reference;
• professional profile: general, social, personal and professional competences; and an inventory of the professional qualifications and competence units of the National Catalogue of Professional qualifications (CNCP);
• working environment, professional and sports related;
• subjects: general objectives, common modules and specific modules;
• list of modules that can be offered through distance learning;
• access requirements: general and specific (or sport related merits);
• accreditation of specific requirements through sports experience;
• correspondence of the modules and the specific requirements with the units of competence for their accreditation, and the academic volume they represent in relation to the duration of the degree;
• sports teaching modules that can be recognised as part of a training programme;
• teaching staff;
• basic requirements for educational facilities and spaces;
• validation, exemption and equivalence procedures;
• access to university studies;
• relation with the certificates of professional experience.

Vocational modules in which each vocational training cycle is structured

Advanced vocational training

Advanced vocational training is organised into theoretical and practical knowledge areas, according to the expected outcomes in terms of different professional, social and personal competences. The modules may be associated or not to the different units of the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP).

The curricular contents of the training cycles are organised into different types of vocational modules:

• modules associated to competence units from the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP) specific to each training cycle;
• work training and professional guidance module;
• business and entrepreneurship module;
• work placement vocational module (FCT);
• project module.

They may also include other modules not associated with the units of competence in the CNCP.

The education authorities of the autonomous communities may organise the teaching of the vocational modules into training units of a shorter duration in order to promote lifelong learning the combination of learning with other activities and responsibilities.

The professional modules associated with units of competence of the CNCP are made up of theoretical-practical knowledge areas according to the professional, social and personal skills to be achieved.

Regarding the work training and professional guidance module, all training cycles include the necessary training to be aware of learning opportunities, employment opportunities, work organisation, company relations, basic labour legislation, as well as the rights and duties deriving from labour relations, in order to facilitate access to employment or reintegration into the labour market on the basis of gender equality and non-discrimination of people with disabilities. Its curricular specification is contextualised according to the characteristics of each professional family or the productive sector corresponding to the degree.

This module incorporates training in occupational risk prevention, without prejudice to its transversal treatment in other professional modules, as required by each professional profile. The training received enables the holder to carry out professional responsibilities equivalent to those required by the basic level activities in occupational risk prevention, established in Royal Decree 39/1997.

In reference to the business skills and entrepreneurship module, all the training cycles include the necessary training to know the mechanisms for the creation and basic management of companies, self-employment opportunities and social responsibility of companies, as well as innovation and creativity in the processes and techniques of the relevant work activity. This training may, exceptionally, be incorporated transversally into several professional modules when required due to the educational consistency of the training associated with the professional profile Its curricular specification is contextualised according to the characteristics of each professional family or the productive sector corresponding to the degree.

With regard to the work placement vocational module (FCT), all training cycles include this module, which is not considered to be of a work-related nature. It has the following purposes:

• to complete the acquisition of professional skills specific for each degree attained at the educational institution;
• to acquire a motivating professional identity and maturity for lifelong learning and for adapting to changes that generate new professional qualification needs;
• to complement knowledge related to production, marketing, economic management and the system of socio-labour relations in companies, with the aim of facilitating entry into the labour market;
• to evaluate the most relevant aspects of the professional skills attained by the student in the educational institution and to provide accreditation of the aspects required in employment which can only be verified in real working environments.

The education administrations decide at which point of the programme students must enrol in this module, depending on the specific characteristics of each training cycle, seasonality, job vacancies or availability of placement positions in companies. In any case, the royal decrees that establish the vocational training qualifications may determine the minimum vocational modules that must have been successfully completed in order to be able to take it. In turn, the teaching of this vocational module is the responsibility of the teaching staff of the vocational training specialities teaching in the training cycle in vocational modules associated with the units of competence of which it is comprised.

The project module is defined in accordance with the characteristics of the work activity in the training cycle field of study and with aspects related to professional practice and business management. It is aimed at integrating the different abilities and knowledge included in the curriculum of all the modules that make up each training cycle. This integration must take the form of projects that take into account the technological and organizational variables related to the qualification. To this end, it is developed during the last stage of the training cycle and is evaluated after the work placement module has been completed.

Advanced plastic arts and design professional studies

Advanced vocational education in plastic arts and design is organised into training modules with variable duration.

The training cycles include at least the following modules:

• training modules associated to professional profiles;
• work training and professional guidance module;
• practical training in companies, studios and workshops;
• integrated project module.

The training modules associated with the professional profile are to develop the artistic, technical and technological skills associated with this profile.

As for the professional training and guidance module, it is aimed at gaining knowledge about management, financial aspects, and basic labour legislation that may affect the professional activity in the relevant sector, as well as opportunities for learning, lifelong learning, access to the labour market or labour reinsertion. This module must also encourage entrepreneurship, the development of business activities and self-employment.

Regarding the training period in companies, studios and workshops, all training cycles include training placements in companies, studios, workshops or other entities. They have the following purposes:

• to facilitate the development of those socio-labour skills that need to be fully achieved in a real working environment;
• to provide those other skills necessary to complement the professional competences attained at the educational institution;
• to contribute to the achievement of the aims and objectives set out in Articles 2 and 3 of Royal Decree 596/2007.

The education authorities, in accordance with organisational availability, will determine the time of the practical training period and its evaluation according to the characteristics of each training cycle.

The aim of the integrated project module is for students to be able to integrate, apply and assess the knowledge, skills and abilities specific to the professional field of each speciality through the drawing up and execution of a project, appropriate to the academic level studied, which demonstrates technical rigour, plastic culture, artistic expression and aesthetic sensitivity as well as the possibility of realisation and viability.

Advanced vocational education in sports

Advanced vocational education in sports is organised into sports training modules of variable duration. Modules are classified into:

• specific sport education modules;
• common sport education modules;
• practical training module;
• final project module.

The specific sport education modules are constituted by the training related to, among others, technical, organizational or methodological aspects of the sport modality or speciality itself.

In turn, the common sport education modules correspond to the training associated with the professional competences that support the processes of "sport initiation", "sport technification" and "high performance", regardless of the sport modality or speciality, as well as those objectives specific to sport studies.

On the other hand, the practical training module is made up of the part of the training associated with the competences that need to be perfected in the real sporting and professional environment. It has the following purposes:

• to complete the acquisition of professional and sporting skills specific for each degree attained at the educational institution;
• to acquire a motivating professional and sporting identity and maturity for lifelong learning and for adapting to changes in qualification needs;
• to complete the knowledge of the corresponding sport and work organisation, its financial administration and the system of socio-labour and sport relations of the entity, with the aim of facilitating their insertion;
• to evaluate the most relevant aspects of the professional skills attained by the student in the educational institution and to provide accreditation of the aspects required in the performance of the sports technician's own functions, which cannot be verified in the educational institution because they require real work situations or sports practice.

The final project module, integrates the knowledge acquired during the training period. It must be based on the sporting modality or speciality studied by each student and must be completed in accordance with the assessment criteria determined in the regulations governing the minimum teaching requirements for each sporting modality and speciality. Given its integrative nature, it is submitted at the end of all the other common and specific sports education modules.

Teaching methods

The teaching methodology is the set of strategies, procedures and actions consciously and thoughtfully organised and planned by teachers with the aim of guaranteeing student learning and the attainment of the stated objectives.

Advanced vocational training

The MEFP establishes the methodological principles that must guide the teaching practice in vocational training. They feature the following characteristics:

• Educational activities in vocational training must be adapted to the specific characteristics of the students, adopting an organisation of the curriculum from an applied perspective.
• Special attention must be paid to students with specific educational support needs, maintaining educational inclusion as one of the principles of these programmes. To this end, the organisational and methodological alternatives and measures to cater for diversity must be established in order to facilitate these students' access to the curriculum.
• It must be guaranteed that students acquire skills related to digitalisation, career management, innovation, entrepreneurship, technological versatility, knowledge and professional project management, commitment to sustainable development and the prevention of occupational and environmental risks, and professional responsibility.

Within their pedagogic autonomy, schools are in charge of defining the teaching methods in the classroom, according to these pedagogic principles. They also decide on curricular materials and didactic resources. In this regard, they must develop their pedagogical proposals for all students, taking into account their diversity. Likewise, they must adopt methods that take into account the different learning paces of students, favour their ability to learn on their own and promote teamwork.

Each teacher can make their own methodological decisions, which must respect both the agreements made at school level and what the relevant education authorities establish.

The teaching methodology of vocational training must integrate the relevant scientific, technological and operational features relevant in each case, so as to provide students with a global vision of the production processes involved in the professional field concerned.

As far as advanced vocational training for adults is concerned, both the organisation and the teaching methodology must be open and flexible, based on self-learning, in order to allow adults to enrol in this type of provision, making it compatible with their family and/or work responsibilities.

Training programmes must be adapted to cater for students with special educational needs, so as to guarantee their permanence and progress within the programme.

Advanced vocational education in plastic arts and design

The teaching methodology in these programmes must integrate the artistic, scientific, technical, technological and operational features relevant in each case, so as to provide students with a global vision of the production processes involved in the professional field concerned.

Advanced vocational education in sports

The training of Sports Technicians must foster among students the integration of scientific, technical, technological and operational and organisational features relevant in each case, as well as a global vision of the requirements of any sports models in which they may need to intervene.

Progression of students

In Advanced VT cycles, in Plastic Arts and Design and Sports programmes, students are given a maximum of four opportunities to pass each vocational module, except for the FCT module (in VT), the work placement, studies and workshops module (in Plastic Arts and Design), and the practical training and final project modules (in Sports Education), where students only have two opportunities.

Exceptionally, the education authorities may:

• organise extraordinary official examination calls for those students who have already used up the four regular opportunities to pass the module due to illness, disability or any other personal circumstances which may have hindered normal progress in their studies;
• determine:
  • the time at which students have to take the work placement module in each training cycle;
  • the vocational modules that students must have passed in order to take the FCT module (in VT), the work placement, studies and workshops module (in Plastic Arts and Design), and the practical training and final project modules (in Sports Education);
  • all those requirements that they consider necessary for the implementation of the training cycle. Thus:
    • in vocational training the professional project module is evaluated once the professional FCT module has been completed;
    • in Plastic Arts and Design programmes, the passing of the first course requires for students to have obtained a positive evaluation in a number of modules with a total teaching load of at least 75 per cent of the course.

Employability

The aim of the structure of vocational training of the education system is that training programmes and qualifications respond to the needs of the knowledge society, based on competitiveness, employability, labour mobility and the promotion of social integration and cohesion, adapting to the interests and abilities of individuals.

To this end, the following aspects are taken into account:

• the socio-economic reality;
• citizens' own expectations;
• the training demand;
• economic and social development prospects;
• the need to respond to individuals' qualification needs.

In order to adapt training offer to social and economic needs, the labour and education authorities in each regional government must promote the participation of all stakeholders in this type of provision, by establishing the necessary participation mechanisms and bodies in which all the different social agents can be adequately represented.

Among the functions assigned to these bodies, we must include the analysis and detection of general and specific training needs of companies and workers in their area, so as to communicate these needs to the relevant education and labour authorities, in order for them to be incorporated into the planning of training provision.

The objective is to provide citizens with the training required by the production system, and to adapt vocational training provision to the real needs of the labour market, so as to guarantee the employability of the persons enrolled in this type of programmes.

It is essential to collaborate with companies, corporations, business organisations and self-employed professionals especially in areas related to emergent, growing and innovative business areas.

The collaboration must be materialised in aspects such as:

• the curricular structure of the training cycles, with the following professional modules:
  • FCT and project module in the case of VT;
  • the work placement, studies and workshops, and integrated project modules in Plastic Arts and Design;
  • the practical training and final project modules in Sports Education;
  • the professional training and guidance module in Plastic Arts and Design;
• vocational modules are carried out directly in working premises, so as to guarantee up-to-date equipment and facilities for this type of training;
• the use of equipment and facilities within educational institutions by companies, provided that they do not interfere with regular training and educational activities;
• the promotion of collaboration projects between higher vocational training institutions, universities and companies from the relevant production system.

The goal of dual vocational training (VT) in Spain is for workers to become professionally qualified through work-linked training schemes which combine work in companies with training within the framework of the education system, which result in a real immersion into the working environment.

Student assessment

Student learning assessment in advanced training cycles in Plastic Arts and Design and Sports programmes, is carried out in each of the vocational modules, according to:

• the objectives established as educational outcomes in VT, and as abilities, skills and competences in Plastic Arts and Design;
• the assessment criteria for each of these modules;
• the general objectives of the training cycle.

In the evaluation of the FCT module (in VT), of the practical training in companies, studies and workshops module (in Plastic Arts and Design) and of the practical training module (in Sports Education) the tutor of the company where the module is developed collaborates with the teacher tutoring the student from the educational institution.

In each of the professional modules the students receive a numerical grade of 1 to 10 (Vocational Training and Sports Education) or from 0 to 10 (Plastic Arts and Design), with a minimum grade of 5 being necessary to pass the module.

The FCT module (VT), the practical training in companies, studies and workshops module (Plastic Arts and Design) and the practical training module (Sports Teaching) are graded as 'passed' or 'failed'.

The final grade of the training cycle is calculated as follows:

• in VT the average mark with two decimal positions. The final grade obtained in a vocational module can be transferred to another training cycle including the same module.
• in Plastic Arts and Design and in Sports Education programmes, the arithmetic average of the weighted average grades obtained in the different modules comprising the programme, with two decimals. Modules that have been subject to validation or exemption are not taken into account in this calculation.

Passing any of these courses requires the positive evaluation of all the modules that comprise them.

Certification

Students who complete an advanced cycle receive the following qualifications:

• in VT, an Advanced Technician certificate in the corresponding speciality;
• in vocational education programmes in Plastic Arts and Design, the Advanced Technician in Plastic Arts and Design certificate in the corresponding speciality;
• in Sports Education, Sports Education Advanced Technician certificate in the corresponding sport modality and, when it applies, in the relevant speciality.

These diplomas provide accreditation of the competences included in the relevant professional profile, together with working, social and personal competences, as well as with professional qualifications and competence units.

They are official and valid throughout the national territory.

Each qualification is registered in the public Register of graduates that exists for this purpose in each of the competent education administrations which must send the corresponding data to the Central Register of Non-University Qualifications in MEFP.

According to the UNESCO International Standard Classification of Education (CINE), the Advanced Technician certificate belongs to ISCED level 5B.

Each of these qualifications allows access to university bachelor programmes, in accordance with current regulations for admission to university. In addition, in the case of the Plastic Arts and Design Advanced Technician certificate, direct access to higher education programmes in Design, Plastic Arts, and Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.

Examinations leading to the award of the Advanced Technician certificate

The examinations for the direct award of the Advanced Technician certificate have these characteristics:

• It is an alternative option to classroom-based or distance provision.
• They are intended for persons who already possess a considerable training in a specific professional field but have no official qualifications, and who are able to plan their own learning activity without assistance. Candidates are allowed to take a single final examination for each programme module.
• They are held at least once a year by regional education authorities and the assessment is carried out independently for each vocational module.
• The contents of the examination refer to the curriculum of each training cycle.
• Candidates must be at least 20 years old and meet some of the admission requirements for advanced vocational training.
• Candidates can be 19 provided they hold the Technician certificate.
• In addition, the education authorities have to ensure equal opportunities, non-discrimination and universal accessibility for people with disabilities who sit these examinations.

Academic certificate

Students who have not successfully finished all the modules in each training cycles at this level may apply for it.

It specifies the completed vocational modules, as well as the relationship between these ones and the corresponding competence units accredited in the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP).

Students who register partially in some specific vocational modules can apply for these academic certificates, which are issued by the education authorities accrediting those modules the student has already passed, so as to allow them to accumulate the training required to obtain a diploma or a certificate of professional experience.

They have official validity nationwide, must be printed in official standard forms, and must include, at least, the following details:

• personal data;
• specific information about the training cycle;
• information about the educational institution where the programme has been carried out;
• last grade obtained in each vocational module, specifying the year and the order of the official call for examinations;
• final mark in case studies have been completed;
• admission requirements.

Certificate of professional experience

The certificate of professional experience is issued by the labour administrations upon application by the interested party. It states the vocational modules completed by the student and provides accreditation for the competence units associated to them.

Vocational module certificate

Competence units may also receive accreditation without having necessarily completed the vocational modules to which they are associated. In that case, the certificate is only valid for the territorial area of competence of each education administration.

On completion of all the competence units, applicants are entitled to a certificate on the corresponding vocational module, which is the minimal unit for accreditation valid at national level.

Those students who have received an accreditation for the competence units of the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP) are allowed to validate the vocational modules associated to them, according to the regulations for each advanced vocational training qualification.

In order to increase workers’ possibilities to improve their qualifications, a new procedure has been established for the evaluation and accreditation of professional competences acquired by means of working experience or through non-formal education.

This accreditation allows beneficiaries to fulfil admission criteria for other types of provision or to receive recognition for specific subjects or components within a programme. Among them, any of the vocational modules in which advanced vocational training qualifications are structured, thus improving the opportunities of applicants to obtain an Advanced Technician certificate.

Relationships and recognition between higher education certificates

The MEFP has regulated the recognition of studies among the different higher education.

Advanced vocational training

The following aspects are included in advanced vocational training:

• Validations:
  • Anyone who has officially accredited a unit of competence that forms part of the CNCP is considered to have validated the professional modules corresponding to that unit.
  • The  Professional Training and Guidance module of any vocational training qualification may be validated provided that it is proven to have been passed.
  • The validated professional modules are graded with a 5, for the purpose of obtaining the average grade.
• Exemptions: the total or partial exemption of the professional module of Work Centre Training (FCT) can be determined through the recognition of professional competences acquired through work experience, provided that a full-time work experience of one year, related to the respective professional studies, is accredited.

Vocational education in plastic arts and design

The following aspects are included in vocational education in plastic arts and design:

• Validations:
  • Training modules common to several training cycles may be validated, provided they have the same name, duration, objectives, contents and evaluation criteria, in accordance with the standard governing each qualification.
  • The MEFP, after consulting the education administrations, can regulate the validations between training modules with different denomination but with similar contents, objectives, evaluation criteria and study load.
  • The modules that are validated appear in the student's academic record with the expression 'validated'.
• Exemptions:
  • Exemption from training modules and from the phase of practical training in enterprises, studies and workshops may be determined on the basis of their correspondence with work practice - provided that at least one year of experience relating to knowledge, skills and abilities and, where appropriate, units of competence, specific to the modules and/or the specific professional practice of the relevant training cycle - can be demonstrated.
  • The training modules and the practical training phase that are the subject of the exemption appear in the academic record with the expression 'Exempt'.

Organisational variation

Advanced vocational training

Advanced vocational training provision must be flexible in order to allow students to combine training, work and other types of activities. Therefore, students may enrol in complete programmes, in individual components or in distance education.

The education authorities and the MEFP have undertaken the responsibility of promoting distance vocational training, giving priority to growing economic sectors or to those that are currently generating employment. The two administrations, in collaboration, design the materials required for these programmes.

Along the same lines, a system of distance learning VT has been developed. It allows to:

• enrol in advance vocational training cycles;
• engage in the additional training required by applicants whose professional competences acquired through work experience have been evaluated and accredited, in order to obtain the Advanced Technician certificate;
• complete the vocational modules associated to the different competence units of the CNCP, as part of the training which can be accumulated towards obtaining an Advanced Technician certificate;
• enrol in courses leading to access vocational training programmes;
• find information about the different distance training possibilities provided by the education authorities.

As far as the educational institutions organising online courses are concerned, the education authorities are responsible for implementing the necessary measures in order for these institutions to have the required facilities, equipment, resources, teachers and materials to guarantee training quality.

Any institution that organises this type of provision must be duly authorised, except public institutions belonging to the education administrations specifically devoted to distance training.

In distance advanced vocational training, students are required to take in-class examinations in approved institutions in order to receive a final mark for each of the vocational modules. This evaluation is designed according to the different student assessment procedures employed throughout the programme.

Advanced vocational education in sports

The offer of sports education can be made more flexible in order to make studies compatible with other sports, work or other activities, mainly for adults and high performance athletes. For this purpose, programmes can be offered:

• fully or partially, in blocks or modules;
• in the form of face-to-face or distance learning;
• by means of extraordinary temporary distribution of modules of the specific block and of the common block as a whole;
• with special offers for specific groups.

The Sports Council (Consejo Superior de Deportes, CSD) may promote collaboration agreements with the Spanish Sports Federations and the education authorities with the following purposes:

• to make specific offers of sports education aimed at high-performance athletes and those included in sports technology programmes;
• to create specific offers of sports education when the circumstances of supply and scattered demand make this advisable.

The education authorities may also establish agreements so that the courses of the common group may be offered in one institution, whatever the modality, and the rest of the courses in a different public or private institution.

With regard to distance learning, the modules of the common group can be offered, as well as other modules provided for in the regulations governing each degree. The final evaluation for each module studied in this modality requires the passing of face-to-face tests, which will be carried out as part of the continuous evaluation process. The maximum number of calls is the same one established for the face-to-face modality.

The education authorities are responsible for implementing the necessary measures in order for these institutions to have the required facilities, equipment, resources, teachers and materials to guarantee training quality. Any institution that organises this type of provision must be duly authorised for on-site teaching, except public institutions specifically devoted to distance training.