More than 30% of workers in the most prominent companies in the Defense sector come from Vocational Training (FP), according to data from the Metal Foundation for Training (FMF), in which Confemetal, CCOO Industria, and UGT FICA participate.
The organization also emphasizes that the average gross salary in this activity exceeds 60,000 euros annually. It highlights that the range of professional opportunities is "broad," so that students can end up linked to the construction of vessels and ships, to the aerospace and space field, or to military ground vehicles; to the repair of all these equipment; or to the manufacture of weapons and ammunition.
In the same way, the FMF points out that the Defense industry is "very prone" to Dual FP, which allows students, in addition to classroom training, to start their internships in companies and "immerse themselves in this world from an early age, in addition to increasing their short-term employability options."
Direct, indirect, and induced employment in the Defense sector
Currently, the Defense industry directly employs 36,000 people, to which another 37,000 are added indirectly and 15,000 induced jobs, according to a report prepared by UGT FICA.
"And, while large companies represent 75% of the sector's sales, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential in the supply chain and concentrate nearly 80% of the industrial fabric," the entity has indicated. It also highlights that, if the sector is considered "in all its breadth," it exceeds 83,000 direct jobs, with Madrid, Andalusia, and the Basque Country as the main hubs by turnover, with 53%, 17%, and 7%, respectively.
Furthermore, the FMF reminds that professionally entering the Defense industry implies "being covered by that great umbrella that is the metal industry and services and that encompasses other sectors such as automotive, steelmaking, or metallurgy."
"An ecosystem that offers high employability rates and very good working conditions, with salaries subject to collective agreement increases, which guarantees the maintenance of purchasing power; to which other social benefits such as life insurance, disability coverage, and retirement incentives must be added," the foundation has added.
The general coordinator of the FMF, Héctor Aguirre, gives concrete examples of professional exits: "working on building submarines or in a mid-air supply project for military planes are real cases of people with names and surnames, including women, who have taken the step to be part of a strategic, technological, and avant-garde sector."
"And all within reach of vocational training," Aguirre emphasized, before concluding that "if any young person is wondering about their future and stability, they have a secure destination in defense with fantastic working conditions to live well and without hardships."