The event, held this Tuesday, was attended by the Deputy of Economic Promotion of the Provincial Council of Lleida, Jordi Verdú; the Director of the Escola del Treball, Paco González; and the Councilor for Youth, Education, and Employment of the Lleida City Council, Xavier Blanco. During his speech, Verdú highlighted the importance of vocational training and the connection between educational centers, businesses, and the employment opportunities within the territory.
The deputy emphasized the goal of providing young people with the necessary tools and conditions to stay, start businesses, and develop professional projects in Lleida. "Training good professionals means responding to companies that need talent, but also giving young people knowledge, skills, and confidence so they can forge their own path," stated Verdú, linking the creation of opportunities with population retention and the future of the towns and cities.
A central moment of the day was the presentation of the ET-Emprèn 2026 awards. The award for the best Intermediate Vocational Training project, sponsored by Plusfresc, went to 'Connect Pet', by Abel Mateus and Reshma Gurung. The award for the best Higher Vocational Training project, sponsored by A. Miquel, recognized 'Waste Management at Grup Borges', by Imad Azariouh. 'Recovery and updating of an assembly station', by Pau Pijuan, received the award for the most sustainable project, sponsored by Solenver; while 'Detection of microplastics in water', by Manar Lemssali, was distinguished as the most innovative project, sponsored by Trota. Each of the four awards is valued at 300 euros.
The event began with institutional greetings and the presentation of the new course, followed by the conference 'Zero Kilometer Talent', delivered by the president of PIMEC Lleida, Borja Solans. The ET-Emprèn awards celebrate projects developed by students, focusing on the quality of Intermediate and Higher Vocational Training proposals, as well as on sustainability and innovation, key challenges for the current productive fabric.
