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SIMO DIRECTORES 2025 – ORGANIZED BY ODILO
- Officials from the Regional Governments of Extremadura, Andalusia, and Madrid, as well as the Cotec Foundation, agree that vocational training must evolve towards a model of public-private collaboration and align itself with the demands of the current labor market.
- They also point out that talent development requires even more flexible vocational training that responds to the country’s technological and sustainability challenges.
- They also emphasize the importance of supporting teachers with ongoing training on the use and educational purposes of new digital tools.
Madrid, October 30, 2025.- Educational centers are undergoing an unprecedented transformation in which digitization, sustainability, and educational adaptability to the challenges of the 21st century workplace are the keys that will determine the future of education. This is the conclusion reached by the participants of SIMO Education Directors, a space organized by edtech ODILO, within the framework of SIMO Education 2025, and aimed at school administrators.
Representatives from public administrations and various organizations attended the meeting. They also discussed how vocational training should evolve to become a tool at the service of the productive fabric and society, promoting continuous, flexible learningaligned with the needs of teachers and students.
Digitalization and sustainability, the new pillars of vocational training
One of the central themes of the conference was the importance of vocational training, moving towards a model in which digitization and sustainability take on greater prominence. This applies both to the new professions emerging from both branches and to their transversality across all vocational training studies.
According to Juan Pablo Cacereño Jiménez, Head of Vocational Training Services at the Regional Ministry of Education, Science, and Vocational Training of the Regional Government of Extremadura: “It is now necessary to have basic skills in digitization, and it should also be necessary to have basic skills in sustainability. AI can be used in all areas. Within the training in sociocultural and community services, which is one of the courses we offer, it can be useful, for example, to manage the medication of dependent people, helping to monitor individuals with graphs and draw up a complete history.”
This view is shared by the Community of Madrid. During his speech, José Manuel Continente, Deputy Director General of Evaluation, Monitoring, and Control of Training at the Regional Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Employment, commented: “Transversal skills must evolve towards an integrated and inclusive model, so that they complement technical qualifications. We are talking about digitalization and sustainability, as well as occupational risks, languages, entrepreneurship, resilience, leadership, conflict resolution, team management, and teamwork… which are the most in demand by companies.”
The importance of vocational training adapted to real needs
The conference also focused on the direct connection between vocational training and the world of work. In this section, the speakers pointed out that collaboration between the government and companies, smart territorial planning, and the adaptation of the curriculum to strategic sectors such as renewable energy, cybersecurity, and sustainable agriculture are essential elements.
“Without a doubt, vocational training must arise from the needs of the productive sectors. In this way, we achieve vocational training that is connected to the reality of companies, capable of anticipating their needs and the emergence of new professional profiles,” said Inmaculada Troncoso, Director General of Vocational Training and Continuing Education at the Regional Ministry of Educational Development and Vocational Training of the Regional Government of Andalusia.
The spokesperson for the Regional Government also pointed out that: “Vocational training must be dynamic, flexible, and open. That is why we must carry out intelligent territorial planning, which involves knowing what the productive sectors in the urban and rural environment really demand, in order to anticipate gaps and problems.”
For his part, José Manuel Continente (Community of Madrid) pointed out that “We are very proud of our public-private collaboration. We are constantly working hand in hand with companies to find out what their real training needs are and to adapt the training offer to those business and sector needs.” Among these, he highlighted the efforts to deepen training in the industrial and logistics sectors, given their importance in the region.
In this regard, the director of Education and Training at the Cotec Foundation, Ainara Zubillaga, stressed that: “We must create a sustainable future for vocational training, which means making it an institutionalized lever within the productive fabric, part of the economic and territorial policies of the different regions, where a multisectoral approach is increasingly important and where vocational training still has a lot to say.”
Digital tools and training: the teacher’s weapons
Another point addressed at the meeting was the importance of keeping teachers prepared to ensure the success of vocational training. Currently, the saturation of teachers, who are subject to constant regulatory and training changes, requires the emergence of innovative tools that allow them to devise new learning strategies and offer students flexible online training. This includes personalized tutoring and the option to set their own learning pace.
In this regard, Juan Pablo Cacereño (Junta de Extremadura) highlighted the virtues of edtech companies such as ODILO, whose solution transforms the way people and organizations learn in a unique digital environment. “Its platform has a very user-friendly and simple interface that allows teachers to work interactively and online with their educational interests. It also allows you to monitor training progress, the number of hours spent, the number of people who have passed the modules, and the results obtained. This is very positive monitoring to control what we need.”
Likewise, the importance of continuing to train teachers in digital skills was discussed in order to bridge the gap that many currently face: “At the different levels of vocational training in Andalusia, we already have 76% of teachers training with digital skills. This challenge is not only about mastering digital tools, AI, and virtual and augmented reality, but also about giving them meaning that aligns them with learning,” said Inmaculada Troncoso (Regional Government of Andalusia).
Microcredentials: flexible and tailor-made training
Finally, the speakers addressed the innovative role of microcredentials and modular training, which allow for more agile, specific, and cumulative learning for teachers and their students. According to the participants, they represent a lever for motivation and continuous updating, complementing traditional vocational training without replacing it and offering personalized itineraries that respond to changes in a constantly evolving labor market.
These microcredentials recognize specific learning, promoting the autonomy of students and teachers by allowing them to choose the skills they want to develop. In addition, their modular nature is key to designing personalized pathways tailored to the needs of each center, region, and productive sector. In this way, they promote continuous learning, in which skills are constantly updated and remain connected to the reality of the labor market.
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