Nearly €1.7 million in regional funding has been allocated this year to boost employment and training in La Unión. The Ministry of Business, Employment and Social Economy, through the Service for Employment and Training (SEF), is supporting two employment programmes and 52 training courses, creating 693 places for unemployed residents.

SEF’s Director General, Pilar Valero, announced the funding during the closing event of a recent year-long experiential programme. Backed by €561,000, the scheme enabled 18 young people registered under the Youth Guarantee system to combine paid work with training in bricklaying and administrative management. Much of their work focused on maintaining and restoring public buildings and supporting council administration.

A further 20 unemployed people will shortly begin a new 12-month paid programme, funded with nearly €577,700. Participants will again combine theory and practical work, assisting with the conservation of municipal buildings and administrative services. In addition, €47,650 has been allocated to recruit two unemployed residents as caretakers under the Local Public Employment scheme.

Alongside these initiatives, 329 people are currently taking part in 27 active training courses in areas such as IT, telecommunications, commerce, marketing and Artificial Intelligence. A further 25 courses, offering 342 places and backed by €531,650, are due to begin soon.