Over the last decade, the vocational education and training systems of southern European countries have initiated a reform process to introduce the dual vocational training (VET) following the German model (CES 2023; Martín Artiles et al., 2019). This process has been driven by international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Union, which have recommended that the member countries implement or reinforce policies based on the dual model because of their benefits to reduce high youth unemployment rates, improve professional skills or transitions from school to the labour market (OECD, 2013; European Commission, 2013).

In Spain, the dual model in VET was launched at the end of 2012 with the approval of the Royal Decree 1529 developing the contract for training and apprenticeship and the basis for this model within the existing system of VET. At that time, dual vocational training was defined as “training which combined employment and educational actions and initiatives, aiming at the vocational qualification of workers in a system of alternation of work activity with the training activity” (p. 2). However, it is not until 2022 that the Law 3/2022 on the organisation and integration of VET is adopted, this law foresees that “all vocational training will have a dual character, while it will be carried out in the educational centre and the company” (Preamble), although “with different intensities depending on the characteristics of the training period in the workplace” (idem).

During this decade, the evolution of the number of apprentices, companies and educational centres that have participated in dual VET system has been exponential. Thus, in 2013 there were 4.292 apprentices, 513 companies and 173 schools, while in 2020/2021 there were 4.2923 students enrolled and 1.147 schools (CES, 2023). Except for Asturias, Cantabria, and Castile-La Mancha, where there is a decrease in students, the trend is a clear increase, being especially significant in Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Galicia, and Navarre.

In the case of Andalusia, the experimental development of the dual VET system began in 2013/2014 with 12 projects, 11 developed by public schools with 207 students and 87 collaborating companies (Consejería de Educación y Deporte, 2021). After its start-up phase, the dual model in Andalusia has expanded an in 2020/2021, almost seven of every ten people enrolled in dual vocational training were in Andalusia (CES, 2023).

The aim of this communication is to describe, analyse and show the trends in the dual model in VET in the Degree in Early Childhood Education (belonging to the professional family of Socio-cultural Services and the Community) in the Andalusian Autonomous Community, especially its geographical distribution, the nature and ownership of the educational centres that provide this model, as well as the companies which collaborate in the process.

This research is part of a broader project entitled ‘Connecting Learning and Significant Work in Andalusia: comparative research of dual vocational training in the Degree in Early Childhood Education” (P21_00162) funded by the Andalusia regional government in which different universities participate. The aims are the following: a) analyse the experiences of the organisation participating in the dual model VET; b) carry out a mapping that allows to understand how the companies that collaborate in the training are distributed, c) analyse the connection between educational organisations and labour organisations and d) analyse the educational transitions that early childhood education students make towards higher education.

This study is part of the first phase of the above-mentioned project that consists of a descriptive and diagnostic study on the dual VET model in the Degree of Early Childhood Education in Andalusia. To do this, first, a database was constructed from the information available both in the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training on the list of non-university educational establishments and in the Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training, with a total of 148 educational centres that offer the Early Childhood Education Degree. From there, secondly, there has been a selection of those educational institutions that offer dual model. The selection has been made based on the documentary work of the normative resolutions that, on an annual basis, approve new projects based on dual VET, renew the existing ones or reject the renewal when the educational centres do not meet the requirements of the call. Thus, the initial sample has been reduced to a total of 46 centres that offer the degree in the dual modal system in the 2023/2024. Finally, this information has been contrasted and supplemented with information published on the different websites of the educational centres themselves. The data collected for all centres is as follows: name, locality and province, ownership (public, private or charter schools), type of education (in-person, blended or virtual), and companies that collaborate in dual training.

The data produced in this study from the construction of the database have allowed the description of the type of educational centres and the analysis according to the assessment of the educational offer in dual mode in the Degree of Early Childhood Education in Andalusia. The conclusions of this study show the following trends: firstly, although the data speak of accelerated growth, in comparison to other European countries there is a limited extension of dual VET implementation. Nevertheless, in Andalusia dual VET has been gaining importance in the Degree of Early Childhood Education, where there are hardly any projects rejected. Secondly, the situation reflects a higher implementation of dual VET by charter educational schools and private owned centres compared to public institutions. This result indicates a privatisation of this model in dual training in the studied degree in Andalusia. Thirdly, and related to the privatisation of the training offered, the establishment of exclusively online and blended training provided by the aforementioned organizations. Finally, as regards the companies involved in dual VET, a) educational institutions that offer specific work programs for early childhood (0-6 years) depend on the educational administration, b) institutions that only offer the first cycle of early childhood education (0-3 years) mainly depend on companies that offer other care services, c) privately owned early childhood education institutions, which are mainly self-employed in the sector.

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