Education Answers Fuerteventura’s

A centre offering twelve groups at basic, intermediate and higher levels across six different vocational training branches

The south of Fuerteventura finally has, from the 2025/2026 academic year, the long‑awaited Integrated Vocational Training Centre (CIFP) in Morro Jable. The centre was inaugurated by the Canary Islands Government’s Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, headed by Poli Suárez. It provides twelve groups at basic, intermediate and higher levels in six vocational areas:

• Physical Activity and Sports
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Administration and Management
• Commerce and Marketing
• Food Industries
• Socio‑cultural Services for the Community

A total of 118 students are now enrolled, eliminating the need to travel the almost ninety kilometres to Puerto del Rosario to continue their studies.

“Today the Canary education system is a little fairer, giving young people in the southern part of the island the same opportunities to access vocational training as those on any other island,” said Poli Suárez during her visit to the centre, accompanied by Employment Councilor Jéssica de León.
“When dialogue and willingness exist to resolve claims that have been stuck for decades, it becomes easier to find the formula that allows us to serve the whole educational community under the conditions it deserves.”

Suárez added that the opening of the CIFP is “a milestone we should all be proud of,” especially for the families that have fought for this opportunity to facilitate their children’s entry into the labour market.

In line with addressing historic demands, Suárez also announced that the south of the island will receive a dedicated venue for students to sit the University Access Exams (PAU) in the upcoming June and July sessions.

“We have held talks with the rector of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to make the facilities and staff available, so young people from this area no longer have to travel long distances or spend nights away from home to take these exams,” explained the councilor.

Mayor Alejandro Jorge of Pájara thanked the Canary Islands Government for finally providing a variety of training pathways, noting that until now the island’s offer was limited mainly to hospitality.

Strategic context

The CIFP’s opening, part of the 2024‑2035 Educational Infrastructure Strategic Plan, aligns with the regional government’s mission to boost vocational training across the archipelago with island‑specific programmes that match local labour‑market needs. In addition to the Morro Jable centre, the current academic year sees the inauguration of four other integrated vocational centres in Valverde (El Hierro), San Sebastián de La Gomera, Santa María de Guía and Telde (Gran Canaria). The new centres on El Hierro and La Gomera are the first of their kind on those islands, marking a historic step toward quality training without requiring students to leave their home islands.

The 2025/2026 school year began with over 47,000 students enrolled in vocational and special‑regime programmes across the Canary Islands—1,600 more than the previous year and 3,700 more than two years ago. This represents 2,600 groups, 84 more than the prior year and 126 more than 2023/2024, taught by nearly 4,000 teachers in 175 public schools (about 300 more than the previous year) plus thirty additional staff dedicated to securing apprenticeship placements.

Vocational Training for Learners with Disabilities

For this academic year, 516 places are offered in specialised adaptive vocational pathways, comprising twelve programmes for:

• Young people aged 16‑20 with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities, and
• Adults aged 21‑30 with a disability rating of 33 % or higher.

These programmes operate with a reduced class size of 12 students per classroom, ensuring personalised attention and improving inclusion and employability.

More than €4.6 million invested in Fuerteventura

Fuerteventura remains a priority for the Department of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports, with over €4.6 million allocated to various projects during the current legislative term.

• Infrastructure: Approximately €1.8 million has been spent on “shadow zones” for all secondary schools (IES) on the island and for every educational centre in the southern municipalities of Pájara and Tuineje.
• Renovations: Works have begun on the Gran Tarajal Primary‑Secondary School (CEIP) and the IES San Diego de Alcalá, both long‑standing community demands.
• Facilities upgrades: Tenders have been issued for roofing the sports fields of CEIP Pájara and CEIP Cristóbal García Blairzy.
• Expansion projects: Two new classrooms are being added to IES La Oliva; a project to enlarge CEIP Tarajalejo is being drafted; modular classrooms at CEIP Morro Jable, in use for over a decade, are being removed.
• Sustainability: Together with the Department of Ecological Transition and Energy, €409,479 have been earmarked for photovoltaic installations and thermal sensors in all IES on the island, supporting climate‑adaptation efforts.
• Digital equipment: Under the #EcoDigEdu Territorial Cooperation Programme, more than 6,000 devices (laptops, tablets for special‑needs classrooms, public‑address systems, microphones, and multimedia cameras) have been supplied or are being deployed to ensure digital access for teaching and learning.

The new CIFP in Morro Jable is a conversion of the former CEIP El Ciervo; its students have been transferred to the newly built CEIP Morro Jable, optimising local resources. This reorganisation meets both educational needs and the demands of the local productive sector, strengthening the link between education and employment and tailoring training to the professional profiles most needed for the island’s socio‑economic development. It also reflects the Canary Islands Government’s commitment to equitable, accessible education, especially in geographically isolated and non‑capital islands.

The visit to Fuerteventura by Education Councilor Poli Suárez also included Employment Councilor Jéssica de León, Mayor Alejandro Jorge of Pájara, Vice‑Councilor of Vocational Training Francisco Rodríguez Machado, Director General of Infrastructures Iván G. Carro, Island Director Yurena Pérez, Youth and Education Councilor of the Cabildo Adargoma Hernández, and representatives of the local educational community.