Major private educational institutions in Catalonia, specializing in vocational training, are undergoing sweeping changes. After numerous complaints and appeals to labor inspectors, the management of centers like Ilerna and IFP (Grupo Planeta) is being forced to review working conditions for their staff. The issue concerns teachers who, for many years, were employed under contracts that did not match their real professional category.
The problem has been particularly acute in the field of distance learning. Here, teachers were often hired under contracts meant for marketing specialists or consultants, enabling employers to cut payroll costs and offer less favorable conditions. At Ilerna alone, which has over 44,000 students, this practice continued until last autumn. Following a series of collective complaints and union pressure, the company announced a switch to sector-specific contracts for education staff.
At the same time, other major players in the market, such as Ceac and Medac, have long used proper employment agreements. However, it is the rapid growth of the online education sector in recent years that has exposed the scale of the problem. In the 2022-2023 academic year, the number of online program spots in Catalonia exceeded 66,000—three times more than in traditional in-person courses. The region has become the leader in the number of students opting for remote learning.
System shortcomings and government response
The widespread adoption of online learning has exposed not only issues with employment contracts, but also other weaknesses. Students complain about a lack of internship opportunities and insufficiently prepared instructors. Teachers themselves note that they have to manage huge numbers of students — sometimes up to two thousand at once, making an individual approach almost impossible.
Exam procedures are also raising concerns: tests are held in person in large halls, where proper supervision is hard to guarantee. Many instructors are hesitant to speak openly about problems due to a lack of union support and the risk of losing their jobs.
In some centers, such as IFP, the situation is complicated by the fact that some staff work as self-employed, while in-person instructors are hired under contracts that do not comply with educational standards. After collective complaints and union pressure, management has started negotiations to review the terms for dozens of employees. According to experts, these practices have allowed companies to save significant amounts on wages in recent years.
Ways forward and new initiatives
The issue has drawn the attention of not only labor inspectors but also educational authorities. In 2021, a special decree regulating the activities of private centers was adopted, but its enforcement was suspended after court proceedings. A new regulatory framework is now being developed that aims to take the interests of all parties into account.
In response to the situation, former Ilerna employees founded the Anproe association, which works to protect teachers’ rights and develop recommendations for improving working conditions. The organization has already reached out to the Ministry of Education, proposing unified standards for the number of students per teacher and for exam arrangements.
For now, most changes are happening under public and union pressure. In the coming months, thousands of workers and students are expected to be affected by the new regulations, and the private vocational education market in Catalonia will become more transparent and fair.
