Overview
- Formación Profesional (FP) has grown sharply in recent years, with national enrolment rising from about 837,000 in 2018–19 to roughly 1.2 million by 2024–25.
- Catalunya opened the 2026–27 term with a record 176,335 FP students, a €67 million package for infrastructure and tech, 40 new FP guidance counsellors and a pre‑enrolment system that offered more than 5,300 alternative places to reduce dropout risk.
- Andalucía reported about 224,600 FP students for 2026–27, added 1,216 public FP teachers to meet demand, and expanded distance and specialist offers even as overall non‑university enrolment falls because of demographic decline.
- Barcelona increased public FP capacity by 943 new places and 31 groups, while specialised new cycles target rail, health and technological sectors that employers are asking for.
- Despite rapid expansion, reports flag persistent gaps in territorial access, limited initial‑level provision for students who leave compulsory school, mobility barriers for rural families and remaining stigma around some lower‑level cycles that could limit equity gains.