The 2026-2027 academic year at the Catalan Agricultural Schools has begun with a record 770 enrollments, representing a 9% increase from the previous year. This highest figure recorded to date also consolidates the trend of increasing female participation, which reaches 27.3%.
The official inauguration ceremony, held at La Seu Vella in Lleida, was attended by the Ministers of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Òscar Ordeig, and of Education and Vocational Training, Esther Niubó. The event brought together students, faculty, sector representatives, and institutions, focusing on generational renewal and future opportunities in the agri-food sector.
Minister Ordeig highlighted that the Agricultural Schools are a "strategic tool" for ensuring the future of the sector and training necessary talent, emphasizing the importance of education for generational renewal, innovation, and competitiveness. Minister Niubó underscored the "sum of capacities" between the departments to offer specialized training with a broad territorial reach.
The event included two panel discussions on the role of agricultural training in the sector's transformation, generational renewal, and professional opportunities, with participation from students, sector representatives, and the ministers themselves. Vocational training awards were also presented.
The educational offerings have been expanded with two new intermediate vocational training cycles. The Intermediate Vocational Training Certificate (CFGM) in Nature Resource Management and Conservation at the Forestry Agricultural School of Santa Coloma de Farners, the only one in the forestry field in the Girona region, has filled all its places and generated a waiting list. The CFGM in Agricultural Production has also been launched at the Agricultural School of Mas Bové.
The 15 Agricultural Schools across Catalonia offer specialized training in agricultural, food, and forestry fields, adapted to sector needs and with a strong practical component, facilitating access for new generations to rural professions.
