This paper presents both the theoretical frameworks that sustains a Phd in Education and the main results used in a research project that combines Vocational Educational and Trainig (VET) students and School dropout and engagement, titled “Success and dropout pathways in vocational training educational system levels 1 and 2” in the region of Valencia. This project in which three Universities from three Spanish regions participate has as its main objectives knowing the VET students and the conditions that facilitate their itineraries in this training, through a longitudinal study of the itineraries of the students of VET level 1 (basic VET, FPB) and level 2 (Intermediate-Level Training Cycles, CFGM). One may find two axis at the core of the present research research: VET and gender issues.

One of the main purposes of VET systems in Spain, following Planas (2013) is that it is explicitly intended to professionally prepare its students. What is now considered as VET has been evolving in its meaning due to the transformations in the production systems and processes, and the distribution of goods and services, but also due to the growth in both education and formation. Nevertheless, VET, which is regulated and dependent from the Educational Administration, has, specifically, two functions: to prepare for a specific work and to promote its students within the formation pyramid (Merino, 2012). The present research focuses on the inclusive gender perspective since, as stated by Merino (ibid. 2012), one of the greatest challenges of the vocational training centres is to remove, or at least highly decrease, the gender gap in the workforce.

Regarding gender issues we depart from the theoretical ideas of Connell (2000). According to this author, gender is a relation and a social practice that configures multidimensional social structures. This way, gender is built upon social interactions, and within the context of institutions and economic structures. Specifically, in the present communication we focus on the construction of masculinities in the vocational training centres of automotive sector in the Valencian region, based on the fact that masculinities are defined collectively through culture, and then produced and replicated by institutions.

Although there are multiplicity of institutions shaping masculinities, we will focus on the educative system, and specifically on the vocational training centres of mechanics, an educative branch traditionally masculinised, to understand the significants and practices helping to configure the masculinity of young students, future workers of the car industry; a strategic market niche for the world economy, including the Spanish and more specifically the Valencian region economy.

Our main research questions guiding this study are: to what extent masculinities formed within the vocational training centres of mechanics in the Valencian community are productive for the car industry? What are the masculinising practices at the vocational training centres in the Valencian region?

Dissecting these research questions, the main objectives of this study are: To describe the hegemonic masculinity produced by the car industry; To describe masculinising practices in different centres of professional schools where the mechanics branch is taught; To study the agency of young students at the professional schools of mechanics in the Valencian community

Since VET is the context of this research, we have adopted a local-regional perspective, in our case in the city of Valencia, although as we are following Raewyn Connell’s perspective in order to study masculinities, we take into account that each local gender pattern is connected to a global pattern, which in this case we have establishes at the International level of the European Union. On the other hand, we start from previous studies from our research group, which will help us to build an analytical model we will further use in the doctoral thesis. The analysis model employed to study the social reality will be the same given by Connell, based in four independent dimensions: (1) production, consumption and gendered accumulation, (2) power, (3) symbolism, culture and discourse and (4) cathexis. Through this model, we have designed a qualitative methodology, including method triangulation and information acquisition techniques to improve the saturation of the results. The methodology is, thus, composed by: 1. Discourse analysis of documentation. Studied data make reference to economic, educative and labour statistics, regarding the car industry in the Valencian community. Statistics belonging to the year 2009 will be used -year in which the economic crisis outbreak in Spain. 2. A discourse analysis of the curricula implemented by the educational administration in order to develop VET courses, specially those highly masculinised, along with all the programs and measures developed in order to decrease this gendered pattern. Further on, the research will need to add other methods such as: 1. In depth Semi-structured interviews in depth to experts from the VET system in the Valencian community. 2.In depth Semi-open interviews to businessmen and businesswomen belonging to the car industry in the Valencian community. In this regard, we hope to interview not only reference personnel from the Ford car factory in Almussafes city, but also business men and women from the car industry cluster in the Valencian region 3.Classroom observation at the vocational training centers of mechanics in the Valencian region. We expect to be able to observe in at least two different educative centres in which they teach the mechanics branch in the Valencian community. Moreover, we will interview in depth and make discussion groups with both teachers and students.

We expect to present how VET educational settings produce an space for the construction of masculinities; we try to understand how educational relationships among trainers and trainees, and the context in which these relationships actually happens (centres as organisations) allow the shape and anchorage of masculinities present at the traditional cultural gender imaginary with a strong capitalist influence. We expect to find mostly that these relationships and their contexts shape manly hegemonic masculinities since the young students’ bodies in these organisations are shaped through pedagogic relations and institutional practices in the interests of big corporations. Nevertheless, students, through their agency, either accept or reject this hegemonic masculinity, using the system gap produce future alternative scenarios, creating a multiplicity of masculinities.

Connell, R. (2000). The men and the boys. Los Angeles: University of California Press Merino, R. (2012). La formación Profesional en los itinerarios formativos y laborales de los jóvenes: las leyes proponen y los jóvenes disponen. RASE: Revista de la Asociación de Sociología de la Educación, 5(3, 503-512.) Planas, J. (2013). ¿Qué es y para qué sirve hoy la Formación Profesional? De la VT (formación profesional) a la VET (formación y educación profesional). RASE: Revista de la Asociación de Sociología de la Educación, 5(1), 5-16.