Salesians Sarrià Vocational Training School receives award for environmental sustainability initiatives

(MissionNewswire) Salesians Sarrià Vocational Training School, located in Sarrià, a neighborhood in Barcelona, Spain, has been honored for its commitment to sustainability. The school received an award as part of the Green Roofs project, promoted by the Barcelona City Council to enhance nature within the city. The school is equipped with photovoltaic panels, two wind turbines, a drip irrigation system, an insect shelter to help pollinate plant species, an aromatic plant area and a vertical wall.

Father Xavier Brines, rector of the Salesian community, and Father Francisco Álamo, rector of the Salesians Sarrià Vocational Training School, have stressed the importance of such an initiative, especially in a city with a lot of pollution and few green spaces.

The school offers three bachelor’s level specializations including sciences and technology, humanities and social sciences, and the arts. These studies have a duration of two academic years and are divided into two areas — one containing subjects that are common to all the courses and another with specific subjects for the area of specialization.

“Students attending the Salesians Sarrià Vocational Training School have an opportunity to gain the skills needed for employment or more advanced education,” said Father Gus Baek, director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. “Sustainability projects like this not only help the environment but ensure that Salesian programs can have the funding needed to stay in operation and meet the needs of poor youth in the community who might not otherwise be able to afford an education.”

Salesian missionaries have been working for many years to provide educational and workforce development opportunities for poor youth and women in Spain through residential, technical, and vocational training programs.

Close to 32 percent of young Spanish workers under the age of 25 are unemployed and a growing number of them can’t afford to buy enough food to live. Poor youth with few employable skills struggle the most to find and retain stable employment. Women in Spain face inequality in the workforce. They earn up to 14 percent less than men and represent only 34.5 percent of those listed as the highest earners in Spain.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Spain – Salesians of Sarrià receive award for huge commitment to sustainability

Salesians Sarrià Vocational Training School

Salesian Missions – Spain

World Bank – Spain