Vallsgenera, the Municipal Institute for Local Development in Valls, has reinforced its programmes for young people who have left compulsory secondary education and not continued with formal studies. This year, Vallsgenera has also introduced a new Training and Insertion Programme (PFI) for Healthcare Centre Assistants. This project involved collaboration with Pius Hospital de Valls and the Vilaniu Foundation for Dependency Care.
More than 60% of participants in these programmes learn a trade and either find employment or re-enter education through mid-level vocational training cycles, according to Vallsgenera. The new healthcare PFI joins the existing Kitchen Assistant programme, which the municipal institute has run for several years.
Supporting Young People's Futures
PFIs are specialised programmes for young people aged 16 to 21 who have left compulsory education. They offer a path back into the educational system via vocational training cycles and provide essential skills for entering the job market. Vallsgenera's PFIs have a strong track record, with an average success rate of 62.5% for participants finding employment or continuing their education.
These programmes are part of different professional families and last 1,000 hours, equivalent to one academic year. Vallsgenera has been offering these programmes, funded by the Catalan Employment Service, for 20 years. The institute sees PFIs as a key initiative because they combine two important aspects: practical trade training and potential access to the job market, alongside skill development for preparing for mid-level vocational training exams, encouraging young people to re-enter formal education.
Over the past two decades, nearly 600 young people have trained and learned a trade through Vallsgenera's PFIs. The specialities have changed over time to meet labour market demands. Past programmes have included training for assistants in diverse professions such as cooking, baking and pastry, personal image, hairdressing and aesthetics, sales, office and public service, commerce, graphic arts and screen printing, and plumbing, air conditioning, and heating.
New Healthcare Assistant Programme
The Healthcare Centre Assistant PFI is new this academic year, with 17 young people participating in its first intake. Vallsgenera decided to introduce this specialisation because two institutes in Valls, Jaume Huguet and Narcís Oller, already offer healthcare-related vocational training cycles. This new PFI complements and strengthens the training options in Valls and the Alt Camp region, allowing students to pursue a healthcare career path starting with the PFI and continuing at the institutes.
The healthcare sector in the Alt Camp region has many companies that need trained staff for roles such as ward assistants and social and healthcare support. The new PFI also uses a dedicated space at Vallsgenera's facilities. This 60m² area was prepared over the last two years by students from other municipal institute training programmes in construction, electricity, painting, and carpentry. It has been converted into an equipped healthcare workshop, with materials provided through the collaboration of Pius Hospital and the Vilaniu Foundation.
Vallsgenera, Pius Hospital, and Vilaniu work closely to ensure the training in this new PFI meets the labour needs of the social and healthcare sector. The 1,000-hour PFI includes general modules, which help young people find work and understand their environment, and specialised vocational training. This covers areas such as patient mobilisation and transfer in healthcare centres or special services, occupational hazards, and the transfer of documentation, materials, or equipment. It also includes 180 hours of practical training in companies.
This training leads to the professional certificate SAN668_1 for the Transfer and Mobilisation of Users/Patients, Documentation, and Materials, and allows access to mid-level studies. Additionally, students receive personalised tutoring to ensure individual support.
