The Minister of Education, Universities, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuela Armas, the Mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz, and the President of the Cabildo, María Dolores Corujo, toured the new Vocational Training facilities in El Fondeadero (Tías) on Saturday morning. The center will host students of the basic FP degree in Cooking and Restoration, which is currently taught at the IES Puerto del Carmen, center to which this training space will be attached.
Also attending were the General Director of Vocational Training and Adult Education, Rosario Gañán, the Island Director of Education, Celeste Callero, the Second Deputy Mayor, Nicolás Saavedra, the Councilor for Economy, Finance and Education, Tomás Silvera, the Director of the IES Puerto del Carmen, Luz Baena and the Deputy Director, Alberto Pascua, along with other local and island authorities.
Also participating in the visit were the president of the Lanzarote Tourist Federation (FTL) and Asolan, Susana Pérez, and a representation of the Martínez Hermanos Foundation.
Minister Armas stressed that the Government of the Canary Islands has invested nearly one million euros in this project, executed with the economic collaboration of the City Council of Tías, "and that has allowed this training to take place from next year in spacious, modern, and professional facilities, which replicate the real kitchens and rooms where students will work in the future."
She also emphasized the importance of expanding and improving Basic FP, which keeps students in the education system, opens new opportunities and reduces early school leaving.According to her, 81.2% of students enrolled in basic level training cycles in the Canary Islands during the 2021-22 academic year subsequently pursued higher education. In addition, the percentage of young people who obtained the degrees of Graduate in ESO and Basic Technician in the corresponding professional specialty, in that same period, was higher than 70%.
For her part, the General Director of Vocational Training and Adult Education recalled that the Ministry has reduced the ratio for this type of education to 12 students, which allows for more personalized attention, greater monitoring of the learning process and, therefore, lower rates of early dropout. "The results prove us right: in the current school year, in this cycle in Puerto del Carmen, of the eight students in the second year, six are already working." In addition, she announced the intention of the education department to establish the FP of intermediate and higher degree of Cooking and Restoration, in order to offer the complete training under public tutelage.
José Juan Cruz, was pleased to celebrate the reopening of facilities in Puerto del Carmen that were already a pedagogical restaurant of HECANSA, promoted by the City Council, "and that today recover an essential mission, in a tourist municipality and island, to train our future professionals to offer the highest quality of service, and at the same time, the best working conditions; and of course, alleviate youth unemployment, which is one of our battle horses."
The President of the Cabildo took a tour of the training space, since it was a bar-restaurant-school "in which many young people who are now great professionals were trained." "El Fondeadero was designed to house the most modern pedagogical techniques with which to impart a greater and faster preparation for the students who passed through its classrooms and for that reason, today is a day of celebration for the tourism sector and for those of us who are committed to the qualification and excellence of our destination Lanzarote."
The president of FTL and Asolan also spoke, who applauded the collaboration between the administrations to launch a center long demanded by the sector and stressed the importance of education to obtain changes of importance in the medium and long term.
