Last Tuesday, Carmen Maeztu, the Counselor for Social Rights, Social Economy, and Employment of the Government of Navarra, took part in a key session of the Alliance of Automotive Regions held in Brussels. This event, part of the 22nd European Week of Regions and Cities, brought together representatives from different regions to share common challenges and strategic solutions for the transition towards a more sustainable and digitalized automotive industry.
During her speech, Maeztu highlighted Navarra’s strong commitment to vocational training (FP) as a strategic axis for attracting young talent and retraining the workforce in the automotive sector. In this context, Tafalla Iron Foundry (TIF) was presented as a successful example due to its commitment to intensive dual training, a model that combines theoretical learning with hands-on experience in collaboration with the industry.
Maeztu emphasized the importance of initiatives like TIF’s, which allow students to acquire technical skills tailored to the needs of a rapidly evolving sector, particularly in electric mobility. “Navarra has successfully combined its industrial and automotive tradition with innovation and technology applied to future training,” she stated. This focus on re-skilling and diversifying competencies is crucial to ensuring a successful transition to sustainable mobility.
Additionally, Maeztu shared that Navarra is meeting the goals of its Electric Mobility Agenda, leading in Spain in the sale of hybrid and electric vehicles, with 12% of vehicle registrations being electric cars—three times the national average. She also highlighted the role of the VW Navarra factory as a key player in producing electric vehicles, helping to expand access to this technology across Spain.
For Tafalla Iron Foundry, dual training is not only a key tool for attracting talent but also for strengthening the competitiveness of the industry and ensuring a skilled workforce for the future. This collaboration between the public and private sectors, technology centers, and industrial clusters continues to position Navarra and companies like TIF at the forefront of the automotive industry of tomorrow.
