On 24 and 25 March 2022, the European Commission, the Directorate General for Vocational Education of the Regional Government of Catalonia, Fundación Bertelsmann, and the European Apprentices Network (EAN) will organise a joint hybrid EAfA event titled ‘The voice of apprentices in the European Year of Youth 2022’.

The event will focus on the role of apprentices and their representation across the EU, with sessions taking place in Barcelona and streamed online. During the two-day event, participants will learn about the EAN and its contribution to the 2022 European Year of Youth. Topics such as how to make apprenticeships more attractive for young people will also be covered.

The event will provide insights on Spain’s efforts to promote dual vocational education and training (VET). In addition, participants will have the opportunity to visit two local VET institutions (Institut Bonanova and Institut Escola del Treball) where they can learn about good practices.

The main objectives of the event are to:

• officially launch the renewed EAN in the framework of the European Year of Youth; 
• raise awareness about the importance of apprentices’ representation in national and regional structures;
• identify good practices and discuss how to make apprenticeships more attractive for young people.

The hybrid event is expected to bring together around 150 face-to-face participants as well as many more online attendees.

How to participate