A delegation of the Balearic Government has visited the Canary Islands to learn first-hand about the training and management model of Hecansa, a benchmark in tourism vocational training, with the aim of studying its possible adaptation in the Balearic Islands.
The Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jéssica de León, and the CEO of Hoteles Escuela de Canarias (Hecansa), Paola Plasencia, received the Minister in the Balearic Islands of Labor, Public Function and Social Dialogue, Catalina Cabrer, and the Director General of Social Dialogue and Economic Transition, José Antonio Caldés.
The meeting, which took place at the Hotel School Santa Cruz, in Tenerife, allowed for a technical exchange on employment and vocational training. During the day, the Balearic officials were able to delve into the system of intensive Dual Vocational Training applied in hotel schools and in collaboration with the hotel sector, key to guaranteeing training adapted to the real needs of the labor market.
"Canary Islands and Balearic Islands share similar challenges such as the qualification of professionals, the quality of life of those who work in the sector and the distribution of wealth. In addition, we seek to channel citizen discontent, not only regarding the tourism industry, but also about its possible effects on the quality of life of the Canarian men and women. Therefore, this visit is a magnificent opportunity to learn and reflect on the experience of the Canary Islands, including our dialogue process with civil society through the Demographic Challenge Tables," assured the Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León.
De León also highlighted that "the Canary Islands Hotel Schools have consolidated as a success model for more than thirty years, and 70% of students receive a job offer upon completing their training. Currently we have four reference hotels and we are expanding our educational offer with new professional certificates in areas such as technology, active and sports tourism. Furthermore, in April our new Innovation Center will be inaugurated, which will further reinforce specialized training in the tourism sector."
«Managing Hecansa is a great challenge because we are a 100% public company that, at the same time, must compete in the hotel market guaranteeing educational quality and excellence in service. The visit from the Balearic Islands has been a very enriching experience and we trust that this collaboration will contribute to strengthening tourism training in both archipelagos,» he added.
For her part, the Minister of Labor, Public Function and Social Dialogue of the Balearic Government, Catalina Cabrer, thanked the Canarian authorities for the invitation to learn about «this pioneering experience» and congratulated them on this management model and training. «In the Balearic Islands, we are interested in seeing models that work, as we have started a sustainability process and are looking for formulas to advance a transition agenda that promotes the well-being of workers and residents. In this context, we have paid special attention to the professional qualification of the workers».
The CEO of Hecansa, Paola Plasencia, stressed that «currently we have 170 students enrolled in the dual modalities, both general and intensive. The pilot experience that we started in 2023 with Iberostar, with forty-five apprentices, has been expanded and now five companies participate. This model allows students to receive paid training from day one and, furthermore, continue developing their professional career in the sector once their studies are completed».
The visit served to tour the different training spaces of the Hotel School, where the quality of practical and theoretical teaching in all areas of hospitality and catering was highlighted. The representatives of the Balearic Government verified how Hecansa combines professional training with direct practice in hotels, thus reinforcing the preparation of the students.
In the Drago kitchen, they witnessed a gastronomy workshop led by professor Ignacio Figueroa. They also got to know the learning spaces specialized in cocktail making and bar service, as well as in coffee shop and catering.