The General Council of Vocational Education and Training was created by Act 1/1986 of 7 January 1986
(Spanish), modified later by Act 19/1997 of 9 June 1997 (Spanish). This Act allowed the participation of representatives from the Autonomous Communities, including the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
The Act 19/1997 shapes the new General Council of Vocational Education and Training as an advisory body organized on a tripartite basis with the participation of the Public Administrations, the employers organizations and the trade unions.
It depends on the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs and it is thought to be a specialized body, which advises the Government on the field of Vocational Education and Training.
Section 2 of Article 1 of Royal Decree 375/1999 provides that INCUAL will be a technical instrument, endowed with capacity and independence, to support the Spanish General Council of Vocational Education and Training in the achievement of the following objectives:
- To observe qualifications and their evolution.
- To determine qualifications.
- To accredit qualifications.
- To develop the integration of professional qualifications.
- Follow-up and assessment of the National Program of Vocational Training.
Article 3 of the aforementioned Royal Decree provides that the General Council of Vocational Education and Training is the governing body of INCUAL and determines which governing functions it has. As a general rule, the Council delegates to its Permanent Commission the following tasks:
- To approve the INCUAL's programmes of activities according to the priorities established by the Council Plenary, and to follow up its fulfilment.
- To make proposals to the General Council on subjects related to INCUALs functions.
- To make proposals to optimise INCUALs budgetary resources and to make INCUALs action plans viable.
- To examine the INCUAL's annual activity report to be submitted to the Council.
Objectives and Functions
- To draw up the National Programme of Vocational Training and to propose its approval to the Government. Within this framework, Autonomous Communities, which may have competences on the management of the Programme, will be able to determine specific characteristics to be applied in their territories.
- To assess and control the execution of the Programme and to propose its update when necessary without prejudice to the Autonomous Communities competences on this subject.
- To draw up reports about proposals on curricula and diplomas corresponding to the different levels and specializations of vocational education and training, as well as the occupational aptitude certificates within the scope of unemployed vocational education and training and, where appropriate, its academic or professional validation with the corresponding levels of the initial vocational education and training without prejudice to the State School Councils competences on this subject.
- To draw up reports about any subject related to vocational education and training which may be of interest to the Public Administrations.
- To submit proposals and recommendations to the Public Administrations with competences on vocational education and training, especially those related to the execution of the National Programme of Vocational Training.
- To propose actions to improve career guidance, in particular, those actions carried out within the scope of the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs.
- To assess and follow up the actions carried out in the field of vocational education and training.
Presidency and Organization Chart
The Presidency of the Council corresponds to the Minister of Work and Social Affairs during the years 2006 and 2007. As laid down in Article 59 of the Act 14/2000 of 28 December 2000 on Taxation, Administrative Provisions and Social Affairs, the aforementioned ministry will hold the presidency every two years alternately with the Minister of Education and Science.
The General Council of Vocational Education and Training is made up of 77 members:
- 1 President.
- 4 Vice-presidents.
- 17 Members designated within the General Administration of the State.
- 17 Members representing the Autonomous Communities as well as a member from each of the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla.
- 19 Members from the most representative employers associations.
- 19 Members from the most representative trade unions.
Operation: Adoption of Agreements
The operation of the General Council of Vocational Education and Training is laid down by its corresponding Rules of Procedure, approved by Royal Decree 1684/1997 of 7 November 1997 (Spanish). .
The General Council operates in Plenary Session or Permanent Commission. It can also operate through working commissions, when decided by the Plenary or the Permanent Commission.
The Plenary is made up of the President, the Vice-presidents, all the Members and the Secretary-General.
The Permanent Commission is made up of five representatives from the General Administration of the State; five representatives from the Autonomous Communities and the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Mellilla; five representatives from the trade unions and five representatives from the employers associations (in both cases, the most representative).
The tasks of the Permanent Commission are:- To monitor and control the implementation of the Plenarys agreements.
- To propose all the measures deemed necessary for the best possible achievement of the Councils mission.
- Any other functions entrusted by the Councils Plenary.
The Secretary-General of the Council shall be a civil servant from the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs, in an advisory capacity, proposed jointly by the Ministry of Education and Science, and the Ministry of Work and Social Affairs. He/she shall act as the Secretary of the Permanent Commission too.
The Plenary and the Permanent Commission of the General Council of Vocational Education and Training shall decide by means of Agreements,which will be adopted by a majority of the members present.
