Improving Active Labour Market Policies in Spain

6. Integrated and holistic support

Abstract

This chapter examines how the assessed ALMPs in Spain provide integrated and holistic support to participants, taking into account the wide range of challenges they may face beyond employment. It begins by emphasising the importance of assessing the capacity of ALMPs to respond to participants’ multiple and interrelated needs, and presents the benchmark used for the qualitative assessment. It then reviews the range of services offered by the programmes and the role of partnerships, ranging from well-established networks to informal case‑by-case solutions, in delivering and co‑ordinating these services. The chapter presents good practices that offer a wide range of personalised services and utilise strong collaborative networks of partners. Finally, it concludes with recommendations for delivering a comprehensive package of services tailored to participants’ needs in future ALMPs.

6.1. Understanding the criterion and its benchmark for qualitative assessment

Components 23 and 19 of the Spanish RRP are specifically designed to assist vulnerable groups such as young people, women, long-term unemployed, and individuals facing social exclusion, among others. Many of these groups were significantly affected by the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on the Spanish labour market.

In this context, effective ALMPs must adopt a holistic approach that comprehensively addresses the multidimensional barriers faced by vulnerable groups. These individuals, who are often far from the labour market, present a wide array of challenges encompassing long-term unemployment, low skill levels, limited work experience, health limitations, and care obligations, among others (Fernandez et al., 2018[23]). Their distance from the labour market necessitates an integrated and holistic approach to meet their complex needs (OECD, 2021[11]). This approach demands a strategic combination of various services and measures tailored to address the barriers they may face. These services could encompass offering resources and tools for effective job search (such as career advice, resume writing assistance, and interview preparation), upskilling services (e.g. digital skills training), and support services (e.g. childcare, transportation assistance), work experience opportunities, employer incentives, and other tailored interventions. For instance, initiatives like France’s “1 jeune 1 solution”,1 which targets youths in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, demonstrate the efficacy of a comprehensive package of services, integrating employment incentives, training, apprenticeship, and recruitment support (OECD, 2021[11]).

This holistic approach also implies that ALMPs need to be implemented within a broader, more comprehensive framework, taking into account other ALMPs and PES support available but also the contributions of various institutions providing social, health and education services. Collaboration between different institutions and joint efforts amongst professionals are crucial to reduce costs and prevent service duplication (OECD, 2023[12]; OECD, 2021[14]). The synergy between these services can offer a more streamlined and efficient support system. Therefore, effective networking, co‑operation, and data exchange are key to avoiding service gaps and overlaps. Effective data exchange systems allow for real-time tracking of a jobseeker’s progress, adjustments in service provision based on emerging needs, and a more co‑ordinated approach among different service providers. For instance, if a jobseeker is receiving health services alongside employment training, data sharing between these providers can ensure that the training is tailored to accommodate and complement the individual’s health requirements. France’s “accompagnement global” initiative illustrates the success of a collaborative approach. It pairs jobseekers with a PES counsellor and a local social worker, the former addresses labour market obstacles while the latter tackles social challenges. This initiative has shown to significantly increase the likelihood of stable employment, underscoring the importance of co‑operative practices (Pôle emploi, 2018[24]; OECD, 2021[11]). Further illustrating the effectiveness of integrated support systems, Finland’s Ohjaamo’s governance model showcases effective collaboration among stakeholders, bringing together professionals from various sectors under one roof to streamline young people’s access to services. This co‑ordinated approach not only enhances the efficiency of public funds but also provides personalised support to meet the unique needs of each individual (Dromundo, Lüske and Tuccio, 2023[13]).

Box 6.1. Benchmark for excellence: Integrated and holistic support in ALMPs

A benchmark ALMP with an integrated and holistic approach is characterised by a comprehensive approach that simultaneously addresses multiple employment barriers for vulnerable groups. This approach combines a broad spectrum of services, including personalised career support, skill development opportunities, essential support services (including childcare and transportation), work experience opportunities, incentives to encourage employers to hire and train, and other tailored interventions.

Central to this approach is the collaborative network it establishes, co‑ordinating with other service providers from employment, social, health, and educational sectors. This network features seamless communication and joint planning among these providers. It ensures that each jobseeker receives a well-rounded support package tailored to their specific needs, facilitating the integration of services and a co‑ordinated response to the needs of jobseekers.

The benchmark ALMP is further characterised by effective data exchange with partner institutions, ensuring real-time tracking of jobseekers’ progress and service adaptation to meet evolving needs. This collaboration between different service providers, including both public and private entities, reduces costs and prevents service duplication, contributing to a more effective support system.

6.2. Summary of the qualitative assessment results

6.2.1. Types of services

Many of the assessed programmes, such as programmes for vulnerable groups, women victims of gender-based violence and women in rural and urban areas, offered individualised itineraries that provided a strong foundation for delivering integrated and holistic support. These itineraries were designed to accommodate a wide range of activities, such as guidance and counselling, orientation programmes, job search assistance, training, acquisition of transversal skills, employment insertion and accompaniment, financial support and so on. The specific services varied across programmes, reflecting their distinct objectives, target groups and regional contexts.

Beyond the commonly provided counselling, training and employment services, some programmes extended their support to cover other essential services, such as childcare, transportation assistance and financial support to offset other expenses related to participation. These services played a crucial role in reducing the most common barriers to participation. For instance, childcare support enabled parents with caring responsibilities to participate in programmes, while transportation services ensured that individuals in remote areas with limited public transport could access training centres or workplaces.

More rarely, programmes provided additional specialised services such as mental health support, legal assistance or socio-sanitary care. These interventions addressed more complex challenges that could hinder participants’ ability to fully engage in training and employment.

Some programmes stood out by designing itineraries that engaged family members, where necessary, to address potential familial barriers to inclusion. This helped to create a supportive environment for the jobseeker and ensured that the entire household was aligned in supporting the individual’s employment goals.

The programmes managed at the national level assessed in this project focussed primarily on the provision of training and skills development. However, some of them extended their services beyond training to address multidimensional needs of participants. For instance, in some cases training was complemented with professional and entrepreneurial support, or personalised support, such as childcare, provision of digital equipment, translation services or transport solutions.

6.2.2. Networks of partners

Networks of partners play a crucial role in ensuring that jobseekers receive a comprehensive package of support tailored to their individual needs, facilitating both the integration and co‑ordination of services. The regional-level programmes used a range of approaches in this respect, ranging from utilising well-established collaborative networks to more informal case‑by-case solutions to meet emerging needs of participants.

A good practice observed was the establishment of a strong network of partners as an integral part of the programme, enabling close collaboration between employment services, social services and third sector entities. In some cases, programmes also used extensive networks of external partners to refer participants to specialised services when needed. These included healthcare, work-life balance support, services for victims of gender-based violence, legal advice, administrative assistance, access to benefits, specialised training, support for homelessness or substance abuse.

Several programmes built on existing regional agreements and protocols to provide holistic support for participants. These included pre‑established frameworks for co‑operation between employment and social services or between different government departments dealing with, for example, employment, education and equal opportunities.

Other programmes relied primarily on the existing networks of service providers. Many of the programmes were implemented by experienced service providers who brought with them years of experience of working with specific target groups. They had already established networks of professionals and services that are crucial for the success of their interventions. Their networks often included social, health and housing services, third sector organisations and employers committed to recruiting people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In cases when the number of participants was relatively small, some programmes opted to address multidimensional needs on a case‑by-case basis rather than through formalised networks. In such cases, collaboration with other services was activated when specific needs arose. Although these arrangements operated outside formal frameworks and could not be scaled up, they enabled tailored interventions for a small group of participants.

Programmes managed at the national level typically did not have formal networks of partners to optimise the delivery of different services as their primary focus was on the provision of training. Instead, these programmes tended to rely on high-level partnerships that focussed on disseminating information, raising awareness among stakeholders, co‑ordinating monitoring activities or ensuring alignment of programme content with other relevant institutions and policy frameworks.

6.3. Good practices identified

The examples in Box on good practices 10 and Box on good practices 11 illustrate effective approaches to delivering holistic support through collaborative networks that address the multidimensional needs of participants. The national digital literacy programme for women in the agricultural sector, implemented by SEPE, offers a broad range of personalised services in a relatively standardised training setting, responding to the rural and social challenges faced by participants. Programmes in Extremadura and Canarias ensure comprehensive support by establishing strong networks of partners and data-sharing mechanisms. These good practices underscore the importance of integrated and holistic support in creating a streamlined and efficient support system for jobseekers.

Box on good practices 10. Personalised range of services in the programme for digital literacy for women under the plan for the promotion of agricultural employment implemented by SEPE

The programme offers digital training to women living in rural areas who are engaged in seasonal agricultural work. The participants are primarily women over 40 years old, with low to medium levels of education, and a significant proportion of migrant women. What makes this programme stand out is the broad range of personalised services provided to participants. These services not only adapt to the specific training needs of each individual but also address many barriers that might prevent them from fully participating in the programme. This personalised approach helps ensure that participants can complete the training, potentially reducing dropout rates while creating an environment where they can focus on their training, knowing that their other needs are being taken care of.

Training Services

The programme offers free and voluntary training on digital skills, in a training itinerary composed of five modules, each lasting 26 hours. Participants receive a certificate for successful completion of each module if they successfully complete the training and attend at least 75% of the course. The programme design incorporates the expansion of the training itinerary, evolving from two initial modules to five, as the participants’ training needs change. This flexibility allows the curriculum to adapt to participants’ varying levels of skills and provides opportunities for those with a higher starting level, or those who progress quickly, to deepen their learning.

Addressing Rural and Social Challenges

Recognising the specific challenges faced by participants living in rural and dispersed areas, many of whom also have family responsibilities, the programme offers a range of personalised support services. These services are tailored on a case‑by-case basis, as participants’ needs are identified. They include:

• Childcare Support: When participants struggle to balance training with childcare responsibilities, childcare services are provided to help them attend the training sessions

• Provision of Equipment: For participants who lack the necessary technological equipment, the programme offers laptops, iPads, and mobile phones on loan for the duration of the training. This ensures that lack of access to technology is not a barrier to participation.

• Translation Services: Given the high proportion of migrant women among the target group, the programme collaborates with associations that work with immigrants to provide translators when participants have limited Spanish language proficiency. This is crucial for ensuring non-Spanish speakers can fully participate in the programme.

• Transport Solutions: While the training is designed to be delivered in locations close to the participants’ residences, ensuring personal and family life can be reconciles with the participation in the programme, ad hoc transport solutions are arranged when necessary. Training venues are selected to be easily accessible and include municipal halls, church centres, libraries or driving schools, provided they have internet access and meet minimum standards for comfort and learning.

By addressing a broad range of potential barriers – such as childcare, equipment, language, and transportation – the programme ensures that more women are able to participate and stay engaged in the training. This holistic support system reduces the likelihood of dropouts and fosters a learning environment where participants can focus on their training without being hindered by external challenges. The personalised services ensure that the programme is accessible to a diverse group of women, particularly those with additional vulnerabilities, such as migrants or those with limited resources. The programme contributes to the empowerment of women and the improvement of their self-esteem, autonomy and personal confidence.

Source: Authors from information collected through questionnaires and consultations.

Box on good practices 11. Network of partners in the territorial projects for vulnerable groups in Extremadura and Canarias

Information sharing among key actors in Extremadura

Extremadura’s programme on vulnerable groups develops individualised and personalised itineraries for people with disabilities, including joint labour and social counselling, actions for acquiring generic and transversal skills, actions for acquiring digital skills, coaching actions to form job search teams, training actions, in-work support, job mentoring, labour insertion, and job prospection.

The programme includes a collaboration network between the Public Employment Service of Extremadura (SEXPE), the private non-profit organisations responsible for implementing the programme (Service providers), and the Municipal Social Services. The collaboration network is used to provide holistic support to participants, addressing all factors that may hinder vulnerable individuals’ access to employment by working jointly in the labour, social, and family contexts.

Within this framework, the municipal Basic Social Services and the General Directorate of Social Policy, Childhood, and Family of the Regional Government of Extremadura provide information to the Service providers through direct contact. Additionally, data related to the development of the itineraries is incorporated by the Service providers into the IT application provided by SEXPE, so that it is recorded in each participant’s history through the Integrated Public Information System of the Public Employment Services (SISPE) and can be taken into account when developing other actions outside the programme.

This shared information allows for a combined social and labour approach, considering the participant’s social perspective and family environment. This vision enables the creation of more tailored and well-informed personalised itineraries.

Network of Social Agents in Canarias

The programme for vulnerable groups in Canarias focusses on areas with high unemployment rates and targets individuals who are unemployed or at risk of social exclusion, particularly those in need of requalification or who have been long-term unemployed. In Tenerife, one of the islands where the programme is implemented, this initiative is strongly supported by the Network of Social Agents (Red de Agentes Sociales), composed of various entities that provide additional support to participants.

This network includes professionals not only from the employment sector but also from social services, health services, and other relevant fields, promoting collaborative and interconnected work among these entities. The aim is to ensure comprehensive support for participants in their journey towards employment and professional development. Although this network is not formally financed, its organisation is crucial in offering a holistic approach to supporting participants.

In the context of this programme, the Network of Social Agents plays a pivotal role by focussing on participants’ complex needs, addressing any issues that might arise outside the scope of the formal programme itinerary. The network holds bi-monthly meetings involving most of the social entities on the island, ensuring regular communication and co‑ordination. Additionally, each area has a designated contact person, and when a specific need arises, the involved agents convene to review the case and facilitate referrals to the necessary services.

This structure enables a multidimensional approach to addressing participants’ needs, involving a variety of agents and fostering collaborative synergies between entities. By co‑ordinating efforts across different sectors – such as social services, health, and employment – the network helps ensure that participants receive personalised support that goes beyond just employment-related issues, making it more likely that they can overcome the barriers they face. Furthermore, this comprehensive, community-driven approach not only addresses immediate employment needs but also tackles other social and personal challenges that might otherwise impede their ability to succeed in the labour market.

Source: Authors from information collected through questionnaires and consultations.

6.4. Policy directions: Avenues for offering integrated and holistic support in future ALMP

Building on the provisions established under Employment Law 3/2023 and Royal Decree 438/2024 on the Common Portfolio of Services (Cartera Común de Servicios del Sistema Nacional de Empleo), ensure that programmes provide a comprehensive package of services tailored to participants’ needs and address multiple barriers to employment in a co‑ordinated way. In particular, future ALMPs should:

• Incorporate into the overarching programme design provided by SEPE strong foundations for delivering integrated and holistic support, for example, by including as a core service requirement the provision of individualised itineraries. These itineraries are well suited to accommodate a wide range of activities and can be easily adapted as needed to reflect specific programme objectives, target group needs and local circumstances.

• Ensure that programme support to cover essential services that reduce common barriers to participation (foreseen under Article 25 of Royal Decree 694/2017), such as childcare, transportation or financial support, is systematically applied across ALMPs, particularly when targeting vulnerable groups. While these supports are legally established, their implementation remains uneven. Applying them more consistently can help improve access for individuals with caring responsibilities or living in remote or underserved areas.

• Include additional specialised support, such as mental health services, legal assistance, socio-sanitary care, addiction services, support with housing or administrative procedures, to address barriers faced by participants with complex needs.

• Address barriers beyond the individual level by including into personalised itineraries actions involving family members, where deemed necessary and appropriate to create a supportive home environment that reinforces participant’s individual employment goals. These services can be provided directly by PES and service providers or in co‑operation with social services.

• Establish strong and formalised networks of partners as an integral part of the programme, enabling structured collaboration between employment services, social services, the VET system (Organic Law 3/2022), and third sector entities. This can involve developing new co‑operation protocols or strengthening existing ones to facilitate referrals and joint service delivery.

• Where formal networks are not feasible, address the multidimensional needs of participants through case‑by-case collaboration, activating partnerships with relevant services when specific needs arise.

• Develop effective data exchange mechanisms between partners and/or extend existing IT systems (e.g. SISPE and SEGISS)2 and platforms with a particular emphasis on ensuring the interoperability and effective deployment of existing digital tools such as the Personalised Employment Record (Expediente Laboral Personalizado Único) and the Unique Social Record (Historia Social Única). These platforms aim to compile comprehensive individual records across employment services (in the case of the Employment Record) and across social, health, educational and economic dimensions (in the case of the Social Record), supporting more personalised and integrated assistance. They could also reinforce links between the employment training system (Law 30/2015) and VET resources (Law 3/2022). Promoting interoperability and real-time data sharing across these kinds of tools can significantly improve service co‑ordination, avoid duplication, and allow support to be better tailored to the evolving needs of participants.

Notes

← 1.  Details of the programme are available on the main website: https://www.1jeune1solution.gouv.fr/.

← 2.  Note: SISPE (Sistema de Información de los Servicios Públicos de Empleo) is a centralised information system that integrates data from all employment services at the national and the regional levels. SEGISS (Sistema Estatal de Gestión de la Información de Servicios Sociales) is a management tool of primary care social services professionals.