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Eurydice

EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Distribution of responsibilities
Spain

Spain

8.Adult education and training

8.1Distribution of responsibilities

Last update: 4 April 2025
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Training provision offered by the Education authorities

The educational authorities' training offer is regulated by the Departments of Education of the Autonomous Communities in their respective areas of management and by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports (MEFD) in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. 

The Autonomous Communities regulate adult education provision and are responsible for its management with the following characteristics. They:

  • have the administrative tenure of the educational institutions of their territory;
  • create and authorise educational institutions;
  • manage staff;
  • develop the educational curricula;
  • are in charge of distance or partially distance education.

Training provision offered by the Employment authorities

The training offer of the employment authorities is regulated by the Ministry of Employment and Social Economy (MITES) with the collaboration of the State Public Employment Service (SEPE), and by the Autonomous Communities with the collaboration of their respective regional employment services.

SEPE is the competent body for the programming, management and control of the training provision and job training linked to active employment policies and on-the-job training throughout the national territory in the following circumstances:

  • The provision transcends the territorial scope of an Autonomous Community.
  • Coordinated action is required.
  • It involves the implementation of training actions relating to the exclusive competences of the State (immigrant workers in their country of origin...).

Likewise, SEPE also handles the programming, management and control of the training provision in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla.

The Autonomous Communities are responsible for the implementation and control of this training provision in their territorial area, within the framework established by state regulations. 

Since active employment policies are transferred to the Autonomous Communities, they have their own regional public employment services.

Training provision offered by the Local authorities

The very nature of adult education explains why local administrations are particularly involved in the organisation of the training provision, especially non-formal education, and formal education in those cases in which agreements are signed with the educational administrations.