Official image of the 5th Vocational Education Knowledge Transfer Awards. Image courtesy of FPEmpresa.
- The call gathered 64 projects from 44 educational centres across Spain, confirming the continued growth of this initiative.
- The winners, from centres in La Rioja, Valencia, Murcia and Barcelona, addressed challenges such as post-mastectomy recovery, rising cyberbullying, home accessibility for women with disabilities, and more sustainable alternatives to menstrual hygiene products.
- In this edition, submitted videos reached more than 84,000 views and exceeded 22,000 likes, reflecting strong public impact and engagement.
The Association of Vocational Education and Training Centres FPEmpresa and Grupo Esprinet have announced the winners of the fifth edition of the Vocational Education Knowledge Transfer Awards, an initiative that highlights student talent and their ability to develop innovative solutions to real societal challenges.
This year’s edition featured a total of 64 projects from 44 educational centres across Spain, demonstrating the growing interest in initiatives that connect education with the productive sector. In addition, the fifth edition generated significant visibility, with more than 84,000 views and 22,000 likes on the project videos submitted by participating centres.
The Vocational Education Knowledge Transfer Awards aim to foster both technical and transversal skills among students, while promoting gender equality in vocational fields where female participation remains limited. In this regard, all submitted projects addressed the challenge of designing technological solutions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with particular attention to SDG 5, focused on gender equality.
Projects Connecting VET with Societal Challenges
The jury assessed participants’ critical thinking in problem-solving, the development of technical skills across different vocational fields, and the promotion of innovation, proactivity, and teamwork as key pillars for continuous improvement.
The awards are endowed with €5,000 for first prize, €3,300 for second prize, and two third prizes of €1,850 each, shared between the educational centre, teachers, and participating students.
The winning teams of this fifth edition were:
1st Prize: Centro Sagrado Corazón Jesuitas Logroño
2nd Prize: CIPFP Misericordia
3rd Prize: IES Gerardo Molina
3rd Prize: Institut Escola del Treball
Centro Sagrado Corazón Jesuitas Logroño received first prize with a project focused on improving the recovery of mobility and strength in the arm of women who have undergone a mastectomy after breast cancer. Their solution proposes the design and prototyping of a low-cost functional exoskeleton, produced through 3D printing, aimed at facilitating rehabilitation and improving patients’ quality of life.
From CIPFP Misericordia, winners of second prize, the focus was placed on an increasingly common issue: the rise of cyberbullying, sextortion, and other forms of digital violence. To address this, the centre proposed an interactive device located in private spaces that offers immediate and confidential support, information, and guidance to those in need.
IES Gerardo Molina and Institut Escola del Treball were awarded the two third prizes. The first project focuses on improving the accessibility of household electrical panels for women with visual impairments or reduced mobility through a system with tactile Braille labelling and mobile alerts in case of incidents. Meanwhile, the project from Institut Escola del Treball addresses the drawbacks of traditional menstrual hygiene products with the design of a reusable menstrual cup incorporating a sensory ring capable of indicating pH changes through colour variations.