VET in Galician military bases: what changes for civilian and military teachers in 2026

Key data

Military personnel, sailors and non-commissioned officers stationed in Galicia will have access to regulated vocational training within their own bases, taught by civilian teachers and with full official validity. The agreement between the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports and the Autonomous Community of Galicia, published on October 24, 2026 through the Under-Secretariat Resolution of the same date, articulates the legal and financial framework to make it possible.

This is not internal military training: these are training cycles from the general education system, with the same qualification that any citizen would obtain in a public institute, but taught in military facilities and with civilian teachers managed by the Galician regional administration.

What does this regulation establish?

The agreement precisely defines the division of responsibilities among the three signatory administrations:

The qualifications that can be obtained are clearly differentiated by military category:

• Non-commissioned officers: higher-level Vocational Training qualification
• Military personnel and sailors: intermediate-level Vocational Training qualification

The agreement has a validity period of four years with the possibility of renewal, ensuring stability in teaching planning and in the training career of the military personnel involved.

Economic and operational impact

The financial flow is clear: the Ministry of Defense assumes the cost of civilian teaching staff and transfers it to the Xunta of Galicia through current transfers classified under chapter 4 of the budget. The Xunta, in turn, pays teachers under the same salary and labor conditions it applies in its ordinary educational centers.

This has several relevant operational implications:

• Civilian teachers assigned to military bases do not have special labor conditions: they earn the same and have the same rights as their colleagues in Galician public institutes.
• The Xunta acts as the effective employer of teachers, although Defense bears the cost.
• The Ministry of Education retains the function of inspection and supervision, ensuring that training cycles meet the standards of the national education system.
• The four-year validity period with renewal options allows military centers to plan their training offer with sufficient horizon.

From the perspective of the education system, this agreement expands the network of centers where regulated VET can be studied at no additional cost to the student (the military personnel), integrating Galician bases into the map of regional training provision.

Who does it affect?

• Military personnel and sailors in Galicia: can access intermediate-level VET cycles within their base, combining training and active service.
• Non-commissioned officers in Galicia: can pursue higher-level VET, improving their qualifications and employability when their military commitment ends.
• Civilian VET teachers in Galicia: can be selected and assigned to military educational centers, under the same conditions as in ordinary regional centers.
• Xunta of Galicia (education authority): assumes management of civilian teaching staff in military bases, with financing transferred from Defense.
• Ministry of Defense: finances teaching costs via chapter 4 and authorizes military centers to teach VET.
• Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports: maintains inspection and supervision of training cycles.

Practical example

A senior corporal of military personnel stationed at a military base in Galicia has been in the Army for several years and knows his commitment has an end date. Until now, combining service with VET studies at a civilian institute was logistically very difficult.

With this agreement, that same corporal can enroll in an intermediate-level VET cycle taught at his own base by a civilian teacher hired and managed by the Xunta. Upon completing the cycle, he obtains an official intermediate-level VET qualification with full validity in the labor market, exactly the same as he would obtain in any Galician public institute. The cost of the teacher who taught him has been paid by the Ministry of Defense through transfer to the Xunta, at no additional cost to the military personnel.

A non-commissioned officer at the same base could, in parallel, pursue a higher-level cycle, accumulating a qualification that opens doors in technical sectors when concluding his military career.

What should those involved do now?

1. Military personnel, sailors and non-commissioned officers in Galicia: find out at your base which military educational centers are authorized to teach VET and what training cycles are available for the current academic year.
2. Civilian VET teachers in Galicia: consult with the Xunta's education authority to see if there are specific positions or calls for assignments to military educational centers, as conditions are equivalent to those in ordinary centers.
3. HR managers in military units in Galicia: identify which personnel can benefit from the agreement and facilitate the compatibility of service with the schedules of training cycles.
4. Xunta managers: activate procedures for selection and assignment of civilian teachers to authorized military centers, ensuring correct receipt and application of current transfers from chapter 4 from the Ministry of Defense.
5. Military educational centers: verify your authorization to teach VET and coordinate with the Xunta and the Ministry of Education the programming of training cycles under corresponding supervision and inspection.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Notice: This article is purely informational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-22274