This year, the educational offering has been expanded with a total of 10 courses catering to individuals from 15 municipalities in Osona. These courses, promoted by the Service for Welcome and Integration of the Consell Comarcal d’Osona and the Traça training center, with support from the Department of Linguistic Policy of the Generalitat de Catalunya, have 140 students from 29 different nationalities.
The courses have been launched in Centelles, Roda de Ter (3), Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà, Calldetenes, Sant Pere de Torelló, and Sant Quirze de Besora. Additionally, there are two courses offered through the Virtual Welcome Classroom (AVA), one in the morning and one in the afternoon, which include students from 13 different municipalities.
Enrollment has been successful, with 140 migrants originating primarily from Morocco (38.71%), Colombia (12.26%), Ghana (8.39%), and Venezuela (5.16%). The student profile indicates that 68% are women, 29% arrived in Osona in 2026, 64% have secondary education, and 21% have university education. The age range of the students is between 17 and 67 years old.
The 10 courses, running from September to May with a duration of 108 hours, include modules on initial and basic Catalan, labor knowledge (in collaboration with the SOC), and understanding Catalan society and its legal framework.
Political representatives attended the course launch, including the mayor of Calldetenes, Miquel Riera; the councilor for Linguistic Normalization of Centelles, Albert Reixach; the mayor and councilor for Social Services of Sant Pere de Torelló, Jordi Fàbrega and Quim Fité; and the councilor for Interculturality of Sant Quirze de Besora, Cristina Oteiza. Also present were the head of the Welcome Service, Mireia Rosés, the welcome technician, Arnau Codina, and the Service counselor, Txevi Rovira.
These courses facilitate integration, enhance autonomy, and serve as a socializing space and community support. Their importance also lies in aiding immigration procedures, such as the integration effort report, which is crucial for obtaining and renewing residence and work permits, particularly for 2027.
The Virtual Welcome Classroom (AVA) has been expanded with a second afternoon course to meet high demand, especially for individuals in small municipalities, caregivers, or those with challenging schedules. Currently, the morning AVA has 9 registered students, and the afternoon AVA has 12, from 13 municipalities in the region.
Although the courses have already begun, interested individuals can still register via a form and will be contacted to receive guidance on the most suitable course for their profile.
