Spain must ramp up vocational education and training, according to a new report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Skills demands in Spain are more polarized than in many OECD countries with a high share of jobs requiring either very low or very high skills.

While the government has taken several initiatives such as a national job portal, more must be done, according to the report. Spain spends relatively little on job training despite its high unemployment rate.

It notes publicly subsidized training for the employment and unemployed to give them high-demand skills and qualifications would help, as would expanding opportunities for adults to engage in lifelong learning.

The report also said hiring subsidies for companies should be reduced in order to free up resources for training. And Spain could make existing basic skills training more flexible to encourage higher participation rates.