In January, I was interviewed by EPALE, the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe, a European initiative to promote and improve the quality of adult education. The platform provides educators, policymakers and researchers with resources, professional-development opportunities and a space for sharing knowledge across Europe. During the interview, I discussed my work in business simulation, aimed at fostering bilingualism and digitalization in my students. I'm sharing that interview here, although you can also read it in full on the EPALE platform.

Learning by doing

"What we have to learn, we learn by doing," Aristotle stated back in the 4th century BC.

The SEFED project is a training program with the primary objective of educating students in the field of business management and administration, using real-life simulations in a virtual environment. It offers students from the Higher-Level Vocational Training program in Administration and Finance the opportunity to complete their education by working in various roles within a simulated company: DECASARRE SAS (Simulated Public Limited Company), a business dedicated to the production and sale of cheeses and other high-quality products from Castilla y León.

Sandra Mangas holds a degree in Business Administration and Management and a Higher Degree in Applied Languages. She began her professional career in the private sector and is now a Secondary Education teacher specializing in business administration. She speaks four languages and focuses on new methodologies, entrepreneurship and bilingual education in her teaching. Since September 2022, she has worked as an ATD (Teaching Support Assistant) at the Center for Teaching Support, Digitalization, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, affiliated with the Directorate General of Vocational Training and Special Regimes of the Ministry of Education of Castilla y León. In previous years, she taught the Higher-Level Vocational Training program in Business Administration at the Arca Real Secondary School in Valladolid.

What are the advantages of developing the cycle's content around the simulated company?

The virtual environment allows us to train students in processes, IT tools, online services, documentation and their workflows; in short, "learning by doing" in an international business context, working practically and integrating all the content from the vocational training program.

It also enables us to work on aspects not included in the official curriculum of the program, such as innovative payment and collection methods, electronic processing, social media management and soft skills (problem-solving, critical thinking, initiative, responsibility and social skills) — all essential for our students if they want to succeed in today's ever-changing environment.

What is the SEFED methodology?

The SEFED methodology consists of a virtual company organized into different departments. Each department has defined job positions, and each of these positions has specific tasks. Each company engages in an activity and tries to sell its products and/or services to the other companies in the SEFED network.

How many companies are part of the network?

Currently, the network of Spanish simulated companies consists of 700 companies. The international network is composed of over 7,000 companies across approximately 42 countries worldwide.

Who is responsible for the network of Spanish simulated companies?

The organization responsible is the INFORM Foundation, which has managed the SEFED program since 1987. Our company's headquarters, DECASARRE SAS, has a production center located in classroom 209, which we have transformed into an administrative office. Thanks to this simulated company, we maintain business relationships with other simulated companies, both national and international, selling our products and buying raw materials. Our products are sold to other national simulated companies, and for the past couple of years, we have focused on internationalizing the company and increasing our international presence.

What types of documents and communication channels are used in these simulated companies?

In business relationships between simulated companies, the same documents and communication channels are used as a real company would, and students execute procedures just as they would in a real administrative job. Students learn in a context that mirrors the international work environment and fosters teamwork.

What business operations are covered in the simulated company?

Through the virtual platform, we replicate the usual operations of a company: contracting various services and supplies, handling banking products, filing and processing electronic documents with Social Security, the Tax Agency, the SEPE (Public Employment Service), customs, transportation management, and more.

To what extent are the skills acquired through this platform applied to the entire vocational curriculum?

In the simulated company, students conclude their training period by applying all the knowledge acquired in the rest of the program's modules, with a comprehensive understanding of the activities in an administrative office. They gain hands-on experience comparable to real work experience, which will ease their transition into the workforce.

The most remarkable aspect is that students learn by performing administrative tasks using the latest digital tools and English in their daily work. For example, at the beginning of last year, they independently created a 360° photo and an augmented reality experience, allowing virtual visits to our workplace from anywhere in the world.

What is the role of bilingualism in this project?

The employees of DECASARRE learn English by using it, making their learning meaningful, unlike traditional language-teaching methods. We strongly believe that we have the opportunity to make a difference in our students' education with this bilingual simulation project — it's a true immersion in the language. We're not talking about filling in gaps in a sentence; we're talking about using a language daily in regular company tasks, both written and spoken. We have the opportunity to interact in real time with students and simulated companies from other countries without leaving the center and on a daily basis: answering emails from international companies, handling complaints, selecting international suppliers to place orders, importing and making intra-community purchases of goods, managing sales to international customers (both intra-community deliveries and exports), and participating in numerous international virtual trade fairs, thanks to the company-classroom program. Students also create and maintain a fully English website (www.decasarre.com) to increase sales and international relations. Within the website, we've created a virtual store, which makes it much easier to sell to companies in other countries. We actively participate in various international events. For example, in the 2021/2022 school year, we won the Social Media Competition of simulated companies for the third year in a row (3rd place), and we were finalists in the Cedefop PhotoAward contest with our video showcasing our journey toward sustainability.

Besides the digital skills already mentioned, are there any other thematic priorities you work on?

In addition to developing students' digital skills, we aimed to develop their green skills, and what better way to do this than by organizing a networked file-sharing system and achieving zero printing in our simulated company? The students organized the work autonomously and even designed their own app for employees to clock in, avoiding the need for paper-based signatures.

Another advantage of this project is that, since it takes place in a fully virtual and digital environment, it allows students to work from home in challenging situations, such as during the pandemic. The proposal outlined in this project enables students to work from home if they are quarantined. This prepares our students to face another reality of the business world: remote work. We are equipping our students with the tools they will need to succeed in the job market.

Thank you so much, Sandra, and congratulations on your dedication and excellent work!