In the 90’s and middle 20’s, it was easier to find a good job after a university degree rather than other high studies. Nevertheless, nowadays the situation has changed regarding Spanish statistics and employment situation.
After four/five years studying a degree at the University, the next natural step was a trainee in an enterprise for three or six months without being paid. This was enough to start working but after 2009 in which the economic crisis took place, not even with a good degree and good marks good jobs came up. Enterprises began to close their offices, unemployment rose to historical levels and lots of university graduates began to work in low qualification jobs together with low salaries.
If jobs of low qualification were being occupied by university graduates, where could less or non-qualifying employees search for jobs? There was no place for them. This is one of the reasons why unemployment data where so exasperating. From the owner’s point of view it was better to have a graduate, even if they were badly paid, than less or non-qualifying workers. But, experience was not their strength. This is one of the keys for the success of vocational studies.
Little by little, enterprises are appreciating experience rather than the degree itself in which they are not so focused on enterprise environment. In fact, data reveals that 81.7% of vocational students get a job the day after finishing their studies. Moreover, this percentage goes up to 90% three months after. These studies refer to the actual situation of the Basque Country.
Jorge Arevalo, state representative in the Basque Country of this area stated the following information about future contracts:
Why would a student choose vocational studies rather than University degrees?
As you can see, there is no much difference between students choosing university or higher & lower vocational training. Basque Government has been strongly promoting vocational studies in order to keep its cutting-edge industrial structure.
Also they have noticed that registrations for high & low vocational training have increased in 61.5% since last year.
On the contrary, regarding the situation in Spain this kind of vocational studies is not so important. In fact, it appears at the bottom of the ranking out of the 28 European countries. In other countries, half of the students choose these studies but in Spain only 32% of
students prefer this option. Spain is at the same level of Greece, Hungary or Malta, significantly far from Finland or
United Kingdom, unfortunately.
EDITORIAL