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More than half of vocational training in Madrid is now in private hands
More than half of vocational training students in Madrid now study at private centres. The shortage of public places drives thousands of young people each year towards options that can exceed €6,000 annually and reach €16,000 in some specialities.
According to a report by Comisiones Obreras, 50.59% of vocational training students in Madrid are enrolled in the private sector, the highest percentage in Spain. The union also estimates that more than 60,000 applicants have been left without a public-place this academic year.
Demand has grown quickly. Since 2018, total vocational training enrolment has risen by 85%, but the public sector has not expanded at the same pace. Its share has gone from close to 58% to below half of all students.
The pressure is particularly strong in courses with good employment prospects. Qualifications such as Diagnostic Imaging, Radiotherapy, Dental Hygiene or Web Application Development have limited availability in public centres and a much larger offering at private academies.
The cost turns the choice of studies into a matter of household income. Those who do not obtain a public place must pay, look for a different specialism or temporarily abandon their training, a gap that weighs more heavily on households with fewer resources.
Distance learning has also accelerated the change. The number of online vocational training students has multiplied sixfold in six years, with growth concentrated in the private sector and dozens of centres specialising in advanced courses opening.
The report also warns about dual vocational training, which combines classes and placements in companies. A shortage of companies able to train and properly supervise students can result in precarious placements or ones only loosely related to the content of the course.
Inequality also has a female face: women represent only 4% of Madrid’s Dual Vocational Training students. A lack of guidance and their limited presence in technological fields keep one of the routes with the best employment prospects closed off.
The model leaves many families facing a difficult decision: pay several thousand euros or give up the chosen course. Vocational training is gaining prestige and students, but access increasingly depends on one’s pocket and on the number of places available in each area.