Why FCT Management Needs a Digital Overhaul

Spain’s vocational training system still runs on paper, Word documents, and email chains. It’s time for institutional-grade infrastructure.

The Scale of the Problem

Every year, hundreds of thousands of students across Spain’s 17 autonomous communities participate in Formacion en Centros de Trabajo (FCT), now known as FFE, and FP Dual programs. These workplace learning programs are fundamental to Spain’s vocational education system, connecting schools, companies, and public administrations in a complex web of regulatory requirements.

Yet the infrastructure supporting this system is remarkably fragile. Coordination between schools and companies relies on Word templates that vary by autonomous community. Tracking student hours means passing around spreadsheets. Compliance documentation lives in filing cabinets. And when an inspection comes, coordinators scramble to assemble audit trails from scattered emails.

The Human Cost

FCT coordinators — the professionals who manage these programs at each school — spend an estimated 200+ hours per year on purely administrative tasks. That’s time not spent on what actually matters: ensuring students get quality workplace learning experiences.

The problem compounds across actors. Companies managing internship placements juggle phone calls and emails. Public administrations lack visibility into what’s happening across their regions. And students navigate a process that feels opaque and disconnected.

Why Standard SaaS Doesn’t Fit

This isn’t a problem that a generic project management tool can solve. FCT management requires:

• Official documentation by autonomous community — each CCAA has its own Annexes (I through VII) with specific formats and requirements
• Regulatory compliance — RD 659/2023, LOMLOE, and RGPD/LOPDGDD create a complex compliance landscape, especially regarding minors’ data
• Multi-actor coordination — schools, companies, and administrations must work within a single auditable workflow
• Institutional-grade security — role-based access, audit trails, and data sovereignty within the EU

The Path Forward

Digitizing FCT management isn’t about building another app. It’s about creating institutional infrastructure — the kind of platform that public education systems can depend on for years, with full compliance, auditability, and the flexibility to accommodate 17 different regulatory frameworks.

That’s exactly what we’re building with MiFCT.