URV Microcredentials: the key to improving professional skills
More than 500 professionals in Tarragona have already taken short courses to update their skills and make a leap in their careers. These university micro-credentials, with European recognition, adapt to the schedules and needs of the local productive sector.
The Rovira i Virgili University, through its Foundation, has launched 42 specific micro-credentials, designed together with local companies and institutions, to cover training gaps in Tarragona and its province.
Tailor-made micro-credentials for key sectors in Tarragona
The revolution in training for the olive oil sector
Bartomeu Pallejà, mill master at Agrícola de Salomó, was one of the first to take advantage of the specialized training identified by the Generalitat through the Chemosens research group at URV. These micro-credentials cover the entire process from harvesting to the chemical analysis of the oil, knowledge that has improved the quality and competitiveness of the local product.
The intensive and modular format adapts to the reality of small companies, as Esther Andreu, an oil producer in La Bisbal del Penedès, explains, who values being able to balance work and training without long disconnections.
Micro-credentials for wine tourism and the wine industry
The course "Wine Tasting URV" offers professionals in Tarragona condensed and applied training, combining tastings and technical knowledge to defend wines with confidence. Anna Torné, linked to wine tourism, highlights the perfect synthesis of theory and practice that this micro-credential has given her.
Joan Güell, also a student, sees an opportunity to deepen specific areas thanks to the variety of micro-credentials offered by URV, adapted to the demands of the local tourism and commercial sector.
Flexible training with European recognition
The added value of mobility and international recognition
The certification obtained by students is valid throughout Europe thanks to the European Learning Model and the ESCO classification, facilitating labor mobility and recognition of the skills acquired beyond Tarragona.
This system connects training with the real needs of the market, a key point to avoid empty courses and ensure that the time invested translates into immediate professional advantages.
Direct collaboration between companies and the URV Foundation
Leading companies in the province, such as PortAventura, collaborate with the URV Foundation to create specific micro-credentials for their teams. This allows workers, from reception to managers, to adapt to the new demands of the tourism sector with training that fits their work schedules and professional profiles.
The Generalitat's Microcreds.cat Plan has been key in encouraging enrollment and making this training accessible in the territory.
Local impact and sector reactions in Tarragona
Diversity of profiles and active participation
Montse Mestres, director of the olive oil course, emphasizes the active participation of students, ranging from millers to marketing and sales managers, which enriches the debate and enhances teamwork, essential in sectors as competitive as the local one.
This mixture of profiles shows that micro-credentials are not only for technicians but a transversal tool to improve the competitiveness of companies in Tarragona.
Companies and sectors that bet on continuous training
From the agri-food sector to tourism, the response to micro-credentials has been positive. Professionals clearly see that traditional training does not always fit their work reality, and these short and concrete options are the solution.
However, maintaining this dynamic will depend on more local companies choosing to coordinate with the URV Foundation and promote courses that address specific needs, keeping Tarragona competitive.
Micro-credentials are proof that professional training can be useful and flexible, without losing rigor or recognition. And that, in the end, is what matters in Tarragona.
Source of the article: Rovira i Virgili University
