The northern area of āāthe Community of Madrid has taken a firm step in its commitment to the Vocational training as a real path to employmentAlcobendas and San SebastiĆ”n de los Reyes have launched Talento FP, a joint fair that brings together in one space the range of training cycles, the needs of companies and the doubts of students and families.
At the La Esfera Municipal Center, transformed for one day into a great educational showcase, more than a thousand young people from ESO and Bachillerato have been able to learn firsthand what is studied in the different cycleswhich sectors have the best job prospects and how to align their vocation with the real demands of the labor market.
A pioneering fair promoted by two municipalities and the Community of Madrid
Talento FP was born as the first joint Vocational Training fair Organized in a coordinated manner by the city councils of Alcobendas and San SebastiƔn de los Reyes, with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Community of Madrid and the regional program Mentores FP.
The inauguration was presided over by RocĆo GarcĆa AlcĆ”ntara, mayor of Alcobendas, and LucĆa S. FernĆ”ndez, mayor of San SebastiĆ”n de los ReyesThey demonstrated their commitment to working across municipal boundaries when it comes to youth employment and academic guidance. Educational officials and representatives from the regional mentoring program also participated.
Both councilwomen have stressed that the priority is to offer real learning and work opportunities to young people in the northern areaThis allows them to build their life projects without having to move to other municipalities or communities. The image of institutional unity was one of the most repeated messages during the event.
The fair is held in The Sphere of Alcobendas Throughout the day, in the morning (from 10:00 to 14:00) and in the afternoon (from 17:00 to 20:00), a format designed so that both school groups and families who come on their own outside of school hours can attend.
More than 140 vocational training cycles and 16 professional families represented
One of Talento FP's greatest strengths is the breadth of its offering: the fair brings together fifteen educational centers from both municipalities, which put on the table more than 140 Vocational Training qualifications including basic cycles, intermediate degrees and higher degrees.
Taken together, they are presented 143 training cyclesOf these, 63 are offered in publicly owned centers and around 80 in private centers, subsidized schools, universities, and specialized institutions. This diversity allows virtually any student to find an option compatible with their academic profile and interests.
The teachings encompass 16 professional families, including administration and management, personal image, agriculture, commerce and marketing, electricity and electronics, computer science and communications, image and sound, health, sociocultural and community services, transport and vehicle maintenance, building and civil works, mechanical manufacturing, chemistry, physical activity and sports, energy and water, and hospitality and tourism.
This breadth not only reflects the Strength of the educational fabric of Alcobendas and San SebastiƔn de los Reyesbut also the desire to cover very different sectors: from the most traditional to those linked to digitalization, industry 4.0 or the ecological transition, where a high demand for qualified technicians is expected in the coming years.
Participating centers and educational weight in the northern zone
Talento FP brings together public and private centers, universities and training entities, contributing a fairly accurate snapshot of the local educational ecosystemEight centers are participating in Alcobendas, while seven are participating in San SebastiƔn de los Reyes.
Among the centers in Alcobendas are the IES Ćgora, IES Francisco Giner de los RĆos, IES Virgen de la Paz, Colegio Areteia, CIFP JosĆ© Luis Garci, Universidad Europea, Universidad Popular Miguel Delibes and Xtart FormaciĆ³n ProfesionalFrom San SebastiĆ”n de los Reyes, the following schools are attending, among others: IES Juan de Mairena, IES Joan MirĆ³, IES Julio Palacios, UNIVERSAE, MEDAC, CESUR and the Clinical and Hospital Engineering Foundation ā FICH.
Along with them, the fair features the presence of the Mentores FP program of the Community of Madrid, which acts as a link between the classroom and the world of work, providing up-to-date information on in-demand profiles, key skills and internship opportunities in companies.
The result is a tour through 16 stands that allow the visitor moving from healthcare to automotive, from administrative management to digital marketing or from mechanical manufacturing to personal image, with an offer that tries to respond to the economic structure of the environment and to the growing sectors.
From theory to employment: what companies are looking for and how this translates to vocational training
The fair is not limited to displaying brochures and cycle listings; one of its central objectives is to bring the content of the studies as close as possible to the reality of companies located in the industrial parks and business parks of Alcobendas and San SebastiƔn de los Reyes.
Through the Mentores FP program and the presence of advisors, students and their families can ask questions quite clearly. What profiles are being hired for, what skills do companies value most? and what options exist for doing internships or joining the staff once the cycle is completed.
This direct connection is especially relevant for many parents between the ages of 40 and 65, who often question whether current vocational training offers real job opportunities and future prospectsThe fair answers these questions by showing that the cycles are aligned with specific needs in areas such as electricity, electronics, transport, vehicle maintenance, chemistry, energy or care services.
The venue features demonstrations, models, simulations, and examples of real projects, helping young people understand that Vocational Training is not a second-rate option, but a pathway that combines practical learning, technical specialization and high employability in multiple sectors.
The key role of students and families in choosing an educational path
Talento FP is designed for different audiences throughout the day. During the morning, the focus is on organized groups of students from 3rd and 4th year of ESO and 2nd year of Bachillerato coming from public, subsidized and private schools in both municipalities.
The young people tour the stands accompanied by teachers and counselors, which facilitates a first guided contact with training cyclesThey can ask about entry requirements, duration of studies, possibility of going on to university, or job placement rates depending on the sector.
The afternoon schedule is specifically designed to ensure that families and guardians so they can approach it more calmly. For many families, the choice of studies is a shared decision, in which both the student's own expectations and concerns about future stability weigh heavily.
Very specific questions are answered at the various information points: What you should consider when choosing If the application isn't outstanding, what itineraries allow for changing branches later on?This personalized attention aims to reduce uncertainty and dismantle prejudices that vocational training still carries compared to university. It also addresses how modules are validated and what grants and scholarships can be applied for.
The organizing institutions insist that the time has come to Choose the educational path with rigorous information and without preconceived ideasvaluing both vocation and medium-term employment opportunities.
Vocational training as an engine for local development and a project for the future
Beyond individual guidance, Talento FP aims to consolidate a economic development strategy based on local talentTraining qualified technicians in the local environment helps companies find profiles that match their needs without having to look for them elsewhere.
The city councils of Alcobendas and San SebastiƔn de los Reyes emphasize that their main asset is the human capital And that vocational training is an essential tool for improving the competitiveness of the business sector. Every internship agreement, every collaboration program, and every cycle adapted to new demands reinforces this virtuous cycle.
The intention is that Talento FP does not remain an isolated experience, but rather becomes become a key annual event in the northern area of āāMadridIn this way, companies can periodically update the profiles they are looking for, and educational institutions will have more leeway to adjust their offerings or design new specializations.
At the same time, these types of initiatives help vocational training gain social visibility and cease to be perceived as a second-rate option. The combination of internships in companies, constant updating of content and direct contact with specialized teachers It fits with an economic scenario in which highly trained professionals in specific technical fields are in demand.
With this first edition of Talento FP, Alcobendas and San SebastiƔn de los Reyes reaffirm a shared commitment: to bring Vocational Training closer to students and families, strengthen collaboration with companies and offer a more human and direct academic guidancecreating a solid bridge between the classroom and employment that aspires to remain alive throughout the course and in the coming years.