Por Redaccion 
The Junta de Andalucía has launched the procedure for Accreditation of Competencies for Environmental Agents, an initiative long-awaited by the collective and now materialized under the ‘Acredita 2025’ program. This procedure will allow professionals in the sector to accredit their experience and training in up to 14 professional qualifications at level 3, within the Agrarian and Security and Environment families.
To announce this step, the Minister of Sustainability and Environment, Catalina García, and the Minister of Educational Development and Vocational Training, María del Carmen Castillo, held a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment with the Deputy Minister of the sector, Sergio Arjona; the Deputy Minister of Educational Development and Vocational Training, Pablo Quesada; the Secretary General of Environment and Climate Change, María López Sanchís; the Secretary General of Vocational Training, Florentino Santos, and the coordinators of the Environmental Agents from the eight Andalusian provinces, as well as the general coordinator of this collective.
The accreditation of competencies represents a formal recognition of the work carried out by the Environmental Agents of the Junta de Andalucía, who have been active in the defense of the natural environment for years. Likewise, it will provide an impetus and an improvement in the promotion capabilities in the administrative career of the officials belonging to this collective.
Minister Catalina García has emphasized the importance of this milestone: «From the Junta de Andalucía, we continue to invest in the qualification and professionalization of our Environmental Agents, essential for the protection of our natural heritage. With ‘Acredita 2025’, we respond to a historical demand from the collective, ensuring that their experience and training are officially recognized.»
For her part, Minister María del Carmen Castillo highlighted the collaboration between administrations to make this accreditation possible. Thus, she stated that «this procedure is part of the Andalusian Government’s commitment to the training and qualification of professionals working in environmental protection. Accreditation of competencies is a fundamental step to improve the employability and professional recognition of the agents.»
The accreditation process is aimed at those Environmental Agents who are currently serving in the Junta de Andalucía or have done so in the last 15 years. To access certification, candidates must meet some requirements such as serving or having served in the Junta de Andalucía as an Environmental Agent in the last 15 years; being a Spanish national and having turned 20 at the time of application; or accrediting professional experience or specific training: at least three years of work experience in the last 10 years or 300 hours of training in the same period, among others.
The procedure has a digital platform in the Virtual Secretariat of Educational Centers, where agents can register electronically and submit the required documentation. The application period will remain open until March 7, 2025.
A path towards internal promotion
The ‘Acredita 2025’ program is closely linked to the Draft Law of the Body of Environmental Agents of Andalucía, currently under consideration. This future regulation will establish new categories within the collective, including the Technical Body of Environmental Agents (Group B), for which a Higher Cycle qualification in environmental areas will be required.
Currently, 725 Environmental Agents of the Junta de Andalucía belong to Group C1 and, although they have the necessary experience and knowledge, they do not always have these required higher qualifications. Accreditation of competencies will allow these professionals to obtain an official certification in competency units linked to the required titles, thus facilitating their access to the new categories established in the future Law.
The agents will be able to accredit up to 12 professional qualifications, including ‘Management of forest repopulation and silvicultural treatments’, ‘Interpretation and environmental education’, ‘Control and protection of the natural environment’, ‘Coordination of operations in forest fires’ and ‘Management of forest uses’.
This accreditation is a prerequisite for obtaining the higher title necessary to access Group B. It is expected that agents who complete the procedure will be able to take the remaining professional modules in the 2025/2026 academic year, thus achieving the required qualification for their promotion.
To facilitate the accreditation of competencies, the Junta de Andalucía has designated reference educational centers in each province, where the counseling and evaluation process will take place. These centers have been selected based on their experience in training in the Agrarian and Security and Environment professional families. In addition, the procedure has involved a significant technological development effort, with the adaptation of the COLOCA and ACREDITA platforms, used for the management of applications and assessment of competencies.
Commitment to professionalization
The launch of ‘Acredita 2025’ reflects the commitment of the Junta de Andalucía to the professionalization of the environmental sector and the improvement of the qualification of the workers who ensure the conservation of the natural environment. This accreditation procedure is funded through the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, with funds from the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training, and Sports and from the European Union – NextGenerationEU. «This initiative is part of the modernization actions of the Environmental Agents body, strengthening their role in the protection and management of the Andalusian natural heritage,» García stated.
In line with this, Catalina García emphasized that «with the opening of this procedure, the Junta de Andalucía responds to a historical demand from the Environmental Agents collective, ensuring the recognition of their experience and training. This advancement is part of the transformation and consolidation process of this body, parallel to the future Law of Environmental Agents, which will be taken to the Andalusian Parliament for approval in the coming months.»