Study on the State of School Dropout in Viladecans - D'EP

Viladecans City Council has made the Zero School Dropout Mission one of its strategic pillars. Within this framework, it commissioned D’EP Institut to carry out a study to assess the current situation of school dropout in Viladecans.

Main objectives:
– Identify the profile of students at risk of dropping out, using sociodemographic, academic and personal data.
– Analyse the factors contributing to dropout, distinguishing those linked to students, families, schools and the social context.
– Examine educational transitions and the critical moments when dropout occurs.
– Evaluate the existing resources and policies in Viladecans aimed at tackling school dropout.
– Propose strategic lines of action based on best practices and effective intervention models.

Methodology:
a) Desk research.
b) Interviews with key stakeholders.
c) Questionnaire for school management teams.
d) Interviews with young people and families who have experienced dropping out of school.
e) Online surveys with 4th-year ESO students and families.

The evaluation involved 461 participants and resulted in 5 strategic lines of action.

Projects

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KID’S Living Lab is born, a pioneering initiative designed to anticipate challenges in child well-being and drive new solutions.

KID’S Living Lab is an initiative jointly promoted by KID’S CLUSTER, IAAC / Fab Lab Barcelona, Descoberta and D’EP Institut, with the support of ACCIÓ, aimed at developing a new model of collaborative innovation focused on child well-being. KID’S Living Lab is an initiative jointly promoted by KID’S CLUSTER, IAAC / Fab Lab Barcelona, Descoberta and D’EP Institut, with the support of ACCIÓ. Its aim is to develop a new model of collaborative innovation focused on child well-being. To this end, KID’S Living Lab adapts the weak signals methodology to the child and family context. This approach makes it possible to identify emerging changes and trends that may have a significant impact on the future. Based on these signals, the project develops tools and methodologies that help explore future scenarios, identify opportunities and generate new solutions. The initiative addresses child well-being from a holistic perspective, incorporating dimensions such as physical and emotional health, education, social relationships, community participation, living environments, play, culture and personal development. One of the project’s distinctive features is the active participation of children and families in innovation processes. KID’S Living Lab is based on the idea that children should not only be the recipients of solutions, but also active agents in identifying challenges and building possible responses. The project is developed following the quintuple helix model, promoting collaboration between companies, public administrations, research centres, citizens and the environment in order to address complex challenges from a shared perspective. Through the development and validation of new methodologies, participatory tools and pilot tests in real-life settings, KID’S Living Lab aims to help position Catalonia as a benchmark in innovation applied to child well-being and in the generation of solutions with social impact.

Impact Mapping for Fundación COTEC

D’EP Institut developed the impact map for Fundación COTEC through a participatory process involving interviews and working sessions with the organisation’s different teams and departments. Based on the analysis of the Foundation’s strategic documentation and the insights gathered during the participatory sessions, a stakeholder and impact map was created to identify the organisation’s main areas of influence and the relationships generated through its activities.

Professionalisation of Graduates in Higher Music Education

D’EP Institut, together with the National Council for Culture and the Arts (CoNCA), conducted a study on the professionalisation of graduates in higher music education. The study explores the professional pathways of graduates from Higher Artistic Education in Music in Catalonia. Drawing on the experiences of graduates, teaching staff, and professionals from the music sector, it examines the main factors shaping access to the labour market, working conditions, and the role played by educational institutions in supporting professional development. The report highlights the importance of transversal skills, the need to strengthen training in areas such as career management, copyright, and contractual issues, as well as the significant role of personal contacts and informal networks in labour market integration. It also identifies several shortcomings, including the lack of stable career guidance systems and job placement services, and proposes actions to address these challenges. The full report is available here: https://drac.cultura.gencat.cat/handle/20.500.12368/34943#page=1

Citizen Environmental Perception Survey

D’EP Institut collaborated with the BETA Technological Centre at the University of Vic on a study focused on environmental perceptions of the river environments surrounding Torrent de l’Esperança, Torrent de Sant Jaume, and the Mèder River as they pass through the municipalities of Vic and Gurb. The study was carried out within the framework of the European LocAll4Flood project, aimed at improving the management of and response to flash floods in Mediterranean river basins. Through in situ fieldwork, the study gathered the views of local residents and workers regarding the condition of river ecosystems and perceptions of flood risk. The results contribute to identifying levels of knowledge, attitudes, and trust in institutional measures, and served as the basis for designing training activities and educational materials aimed at strengthening community resilience to the effects of climate change. More information: https://betatechcenter.com/es/proyectos/locall4flood/

Economic Impact of Sport in the Pyrenees

D’EP Institut carried out a pioneering study commissioned by the Catalan Foundation for Sport. The project represents the first specific and integrated approach to assessing the economic impact of sport across the Catalan Pyrenees, a territory where, until now, there had been no comprehensive and harmonised overview. The study identified and analysed the sector’s main stakeholders and impacts, estimating the economic activity linked to sports participation among both residents and visitors. Drawing on secondary sources, qualitative fieldwork, and the development of an ad hoc calculation model, the project established the basis for future analyses and generated valuable knowledge to inform public policies in the fields of sport, tourism, and territorial development in the Pyrenees.

Evaluation of Service-Enriched Housing for Older Adults

With the aim of improving knowledge about the impact of housing on the health of older adults, D’EP Institut collaborated with the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) in the evaluation of service-enriched housing for people aged 65 and over through the implementation of fieldwork studies. These adapted housing facilities, which include support services, aim to promote residents’ autonomy, safety, and well-being. The project, carried out through two waves of fieldwork, was based on monitoring the same individuals over time. This approach made it possible to gain a better understanding of the residential experience in this type of housing and to assess its potential effects on quality of life and health status compared with other residential situations. The study therefore contributes to generating evidence to inform public housing and health policies in the city of Barcelona.

Report on International Public Policies in Video Games

In 2025, D’EP Institut carried out a study on benchmark public policies supporting the video game industry for the Department of Culture of the Government of Catalonia. The study focused on reviewing policies in reference countries within the industry, covering traditional powerhouses (the United States and Japan), well-established hubs that have more recently evolved (South Korea, the United Kingdom, France, and Canada), and emerging powers (Finland and Sweden). The policies examined referred to areas such as fiscal policy and other direct sectoral economic support, talent development, promotion, fostering industrial collaboration, and business services. The project also included two interviews with industry experts. The full study can be consulted at: https://culturadigital.blog.gencat.cat/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AF_Politiques_Publiques_Internacional_Videojocs.pdf

Exploratory Study on Early School Leaving in Intermediate VET Programmes (CFGM)

D’EP Institut has conducted a pilot study for the Bertelsmann Foundation on Early School Leaving (ESL) in Intermediate Vocational Education and Training programmes (CFGM) in Catalonia. Its main goal is to involve young people in designing measures and public policies to curb ESL. Specific objectives: - Explore the main risk and protective factors linked to early leaving. - Identify measures that could be implemented to reduce ESL from young people’s perspective. Methodology a) Desk research. b) Online survey of students currently enrolled in CFGM. c) Face to face participatory session with one group of CFGM students, using a mixed approach: discussion and an in situ survey via Mentimeter. The study pinpoints the key academic and educational environment reasons, along with personal, employment and economic circumstances associated with the risk of early leaving, highlights protective factors, and sets out five proposals to combat ESL.

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