"One of Bankia’s priorities is to continue working to improve education for young people"
José Ignacio Goirigolzarri, Bankia's chairman
Bankia is the only Spanish financial institution to have its own Dual Training project and its chairman wants to summarise the achievements and future challenges to conquer for the benefit of society.
In Spain, we have experienced an economic crisis that is unprecedented in recent history, a crisis which, among other reasons, has been aggravated by the disconnect between education and job opportunities.
For this reason, when we thought about how Bankia could support Spanish society in 2013, we thought that education, especially the education of our youth, must be one of our priorities.
Bankia is convinced that the development of quality vocational training can help to solve two of the main problems facing our society: unemployment and training of young people. Because the fight against unemployment and the inclusion of our young people in the job market is the basic pillar of our economy and, above all, of our society.
In 2018 alone, Bankia Foundation projects benefited more than 4,000 students, more than 200 companies and more than 100 educational centres.
José Ignacio Goirigolzarri
Bankia's chairman
Thus, on 26 July 2016, Bankia made a commitment to education with the creation of the Bankia Foundation for Dual Training and its inclusion in the foundations registry.
Its name already stated its intent, the commitment undertaken by our institution to dual training, which combines theoretical education with practical training in the workplace; a dynamic and flexible training model, capable of adapting to the needs of companies and schools, without imposing any theoretical or administrative obstacles.
At that time, we decided to take on the role of a bridge between both worlds (schools and companies) which were unaware that they needed each other. And we did it based on the conviction that this collaboration was a decisive step to strengthen joint projects and foster training, a key step to improve social cohesion and reduce inequality.
When defining these goals, we established four main lines: promotion and improvement of vocational training and its dual modality, dissemination of both types of training, improvement of the guidance process and development of research on learning.
Today we can say that our activity has contributed and contributes to thousands of students improving their employability. Hundreds of companies can increase their competitiveness thanks to our work and more and more schools receive support when it comes to developing training projects that need a little push to become a reality.
In 2018 alone, Bankia Foundation projects benefited more than 4,000 students, more than 200 companies and more than 100 educational centres. Our Dualiza Call is on its way to becoming a national benchmark by having supported close to a hundred projects in its two editions. Projects that have to do with mechatronics, robotics, renewable energies, but also with agriculture, the wood industry, viticulture and social inclusion.
Innovation continues to be one of our hallmarks because we are convinced that vocational training must take the lead. A conviction based on the experience of seeing dozens of students in higher cycles of Dual Vocational Training take part in the Dualiza Challenge, through which they have been able to implement improvements or real solutions in companies of different levels, from multinationals such as Lidl, Heineken and Renault to small companies such as Adisgua or nursery school El Mundo de Mozart.
We are present all across Spain with our projects or the agreements signed with the various regional administrations in order to bring vocational training to every corner of our country.
We work hand in hand with different confederations or employers to make companies see that their talent needs can be solved if they turn their heads and look at vocational training. And to make them understand that the new society requires them to take a step forward and assume a role as talent trainers. Because only companies can know what a company needs.
We have taken this step at Bankia. Our Dual Vocational Bankia program in 2019 includes three promotions for graduate vocational training students, of which almost 50 have already joined our entity as customer managers.
Today is a day, therefore, to look back and celebrate what we have achieved, but above all, to think about the enormous possibilities of a project that has a long way to go and in which Bankia has decided to take the lead.
Dual Vocational Training, our commitment to employment
Bankia is the leading European bank to join the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAFA)
Bankia has opted for this educational model, essential for improving youth unemployment data.
This commitment to Dual Training has generated different initiatives, projects and agreements over the last five years with different regional administrations, and in 2016 the Bankia Foundation for Dual Training was created with the following objectives:
- The promotion, improvement and dissemination of Dual Training in order to increase its social value as a driver of employability -particularly of young people-, competitiveness and the transformation of the industrial fabric.
- Collaboration in the implementation of dual training in the education system, in coordination with public administrations, educational centres, companies and business associations, as well as other institutions and social agents.
- The promotion of research and innovation in the field of Dual Training, generating knowledge that will help to implement new projects and initiatives linked to its development.
- Professional, academic and personal guidance for young people and other groups looking for a job, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit.
The Dual Vocational Training model is one in which the student combines their learning time in the school with professional growth at a company.
Our commitment to training has resulted in the creation of the Bankia Foundation for Dual Training and our own dual training program, FP Dual Bankia, which makes Bankia the only bank with its own program of this type. Since its inception, 30 vocational training students have joined our offices as customer managers.
The Foundation has supported thousands of Dual Training students and nearly a hundred educational centres to promote collaborative projects with companies through the Dualiza Program.
