Record Enrolment with Expanded Public Offer

Barcelona has started the 2026–2027 academic year for vocational training with 943 additional public places, bringing total enrolment to 10,452 students across the city’s 34 public centres. This marks a record number of students and reflects a sustained expansion strategy by the Consorci d'Educació de Barcelona. Of the new places, 158 are in first-year courses introduced this year, while 785 result from the growth of existing programmes. The registration period has been extended by one day to assist applicants affected by the Inuncat rainfall alert issued on 8 September. Currently, 5,527 students are enrolled in higher-level cycles and 4,925 in mid-level cycles. These figures are provisional and may rise as late applications are processed.

New Railway and Printing Specialisations

The Institut Pablo R. Picasso in Nou Barris has begun its transformation into a railway transport specialist centre. It now offers a mid-level cycle in Railway Rolling Stock Maintenance, which received 47 applications for 30 places, and a mid-level Administrative Management qualification focused on transport, aimed at training staff for operators including Renfe, Adif, TMB and FGC. Meanwhile, the Institut del Disseny i les Arts Gràfiques de Barcelona (IDAG) is starting a partial transfer to the Impremta Municipal in Zona Franca. The new site will host Graphic Printing and Printed Graphics training cycles, initially offering 60 places. The full relocation is scheduled for 2028, supported by a €1.5 million investment over three years.

  • Railway workshops at Institut Pablo R. Picasso
  • IDAG expansion in Zona Franca
  • Audiovisual and sports training upgrades
  • €8.77 million invested in 17 education projects in 2026
This expansion strengthens Barcelona’s role as a hub for job-relevant training, directly aligning education with sector needs.

Healthcare and Sector-Specific Reforms

The Institut Hospital del Mar FP Sanitària is expanding with a new campus at Almogàvers 165, part of the city’s Economic Activity Hub for Care Innovation. The new site will add 137 training places in healthcare, sociosanitary and community care fields, aligned with the city’s 'Barcelona Cap al Dret a la Cura (2025–2030)' initiative. The centre will integrate initial, continuous and employment-focused training, supported by Barcelona Activa’s talent development services, including career guidance and accreditation. Elsewhere, the Institut Vall d'Hebron has ceased offering ESO and baccalaureate stages to become exclusively dedicated to vocational training in leisure, well-being, sport and personal image. The city’s vocational training network now includes 34 of the 35 Be_Pro centres planned for 2030, having gained 2,624 public places over the past four years through the opening of four new centres and the reorientation of six existing institutes.

Reported by cope.es, ACN, hospitaldelmar.cat, el3.cat, elperiodico.com, edubcn.cat.