The document discusses the education system in Spain and the career preparation efforts at IES Clara Campoamor secondary school. It outlines that education is compulsory from ages 6-16 and describes the primary, secondary, vocational, and baccalaureate education pathways. The school provides career guidance activities like skills assessments, company visits, and workshops to help students choose their post-compulsory education options and prepare for the working world.

1. PREPARATION FOR THE WORKING CAREER
Concept of the IES Clara Campoamor
The Spanish education system is relatively decentralised. Through the Ministry
of Education, Culture and Sport (Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte,
MECD), the central government designs the legal framework regulating the
principles, objectives, and organisation of the different school levels, as well as
a proportion of the contents and subjects studied. Departments of education
from the 17 regions develop and manage their education systems based on
these guidelines.
Education is compulsory and free in Spain from the ages of six to sixteen or
until students have completed ten years of compulsory education.
In spite of not being compulsory until the age of six, today nearly 100 % of
3-year-olds attend primary school, where early education is provided in infant
classes. This stage is also free.
When pupils finish 6 years of compulsory primary school, they move to four
years of secondary education (ESO). They can study ESO in a secondary
school such as our school IES Clara Campoamor.
Students have to study four years of secondary and achieve the Certificate of
Secondary Education (CSE). Students who don’t get good results have
different options at this stage. If they are 15, they can study 2 years of Basic
Vocational Training which leads to get a Certificate of Basic Vocational Training
but not the CSE. If these pupils want to get the CSE, they have to take the
same exams as the pupils who opted for the 4th year of secondary. If the
students are 16, they can be proposed by the school to do a special Curricular
Diversification Programme (PDC) in the 4th Year of Secondary. These students
get the CSE.
Successful students who are awarded the CSE can enter the post-compulsory
stage of Schooling, either Baccalaureate or Intermediate Vocational Training.
Every school gives each student a professional orientation guidance,
recommending continuing in Post Compulsory Secondary Education
(Baccalaureate) or Vocational Apprenticeship (Intermediate Vocational
Training). However, students are the ones who make their own decision and

2. choose one option or the other, since the school recommendation is non-
binding.
Nearly all public(state) secondary schools offer baccalaureate and some of
them also offer Intermediate Vocational Training. The IES Clara Campoamor
offers both options, although, as for the Vocational Training, it just offers an
intermediate cycle of a specific occupational family, business and marketing.
The advanced cycle of this occupational family is assigned to our school too but
it has never been activated up to now.
Therefore, our school is following the goal of preparing our students for all the
different options. The Orientation Department, supported by tutors and
teachers, organizes some yearly activities in order to accomplish this goal in
addition to the learning content.
➢ 4th Year of Secondary, 4th Year of secondary PDC & 2nd Year of Basic
Vocational Training:
- Informative meetings/talks
Students and parents attend informative meetings/talks about the Spanish
education system and the career possibilities after getting the CSE (Certificate
of Secondary Education). These meetings are held separately; first students,
and then parents. The Head of the Orientation Department, the psychologist,
explains the skills required and developed in every option and answers
questions. All these talks are held on the second and third term of the year.
- Personal interviews
In addition, students and /or parents can also inform themselves in detail in
personal conversations and interviews with the school psychologist. Advice is
given by the Head of the Orientation Department, taking into account the
student's' personal and affective skills.
- Skills assessment
Students' skills, interests, abilities and strengths are assessed with special
tests. The school psychologist has an interview with each student and

3. comment on the results of the tests. Advice is given in these personal
sessions.
- Health and safety at work
Part of the Technology curriculum is a unit about health and safety at work.
- Integrated Vocational Training School visits
With their school tutors and the school psychologist, the students visit some
Integrated Vocational Training Schools (schools that offer a wide range of
occupational families cycles). The purposes of these visits are to experience
vocational training and answer questions on career opportunities.
- Company visits
Every year the students visit some companies with a great variety of
professional profiles, for example, the Valencian Railway Company. The plant
visit is followed by a discussion with the personnel/managing division. During
these visits students get to know different professions and operational
procedures.
- Curriculum Vitae
All the students write a standardized curriculum vitae, a europass CV, and a
cover letter.

4. - Work orientation subject
PDC and Basic Vocational students have a subject related to work orientation:
employment contracts, social security, application training, job interviews,
teamwork, management, etc.
- Start up a cooperative
PDC's students start up a cooperative. They are in charge of all the
procedures: purchasing, sales, etc. The students sell their handmade products
in the Alaquàs central market and at school. Their profits are donated to
charity.
➢ 1st and 2nd Year of Baccalaureate:
- Workshops and talks
Workshops and talks with experts on various topics of interest: working
market, career opportunities, personal skills in job searching, employment web
portals, future trends, etc.

5. - Informative meetings
Students and parents take part in an informative meeting about Spanish
higher education and the career possibilities.
- Personal interviews
Students and parents can also inform themselves in detail in personal
conversations and interviews with the school psychologist. Advice is given by
the Head of the Orientation Department, taking into account the student's'
personal and affective skills.
- Marketing Seminar
The students of the 2nd Year of Baccalaureate attend a Marketing seminar at
the University of Valencia.
- Social Security in professional life
Part of the Economy curriculum is a unit about Social Security.
➢ Intermediate Vocational Training of Business and Marketing
- Work orientation subject

6. The students have a subject related to work orientation: employment
contracts, social security, application training, job interviews, teamwork,
management, etc.
- Franchise Fair
Every year the students visit the International Franchise Fair hold in Valencia.