The MILMA project, implemented in Fuenlabrada (Spain) between 2018 and 2021, aimed to address unemployment and social exclusion in a context of rapid demographic growth driven by migration. The programme targeted unemployed residents, particularly migrants and low‑skilled youth, combining skills development, social integration and labour‑market access within a single framework. Through a public‑private partnership, training was delivered to connect participants with companies and expose them to real work contexts. The project achieved a job placement rate of 32.5%, exceeding typical outcomes from training programmes.
Migrants labour integration model based on acculturation (MILMA) project in Fuenlabrada (Madrid)
Abstract
Located in the Southern Metropolitan Area of Madrid, Fuenlabrada has experienced rapid demographic growth over the last four decades as a result of intense national and international migration. This growth has brought significant social and economic challenges, particularly in relation to unemployment among lower‑skilled young people and migrants. In November 2017, registered unemployment stood at 14 225 people (5 889 men and 8 836 women), of whom 1 834 were migrants, representing 12.9% of the total. In this context, access to employment became a central pillar of the city’s inclusive growth policies and a key instrument for preventing and reducing social exclusion.
The MILMA project (originally Migrants Labour Integration Model based on Acculturation, the latter term having been replaced with Integration) was designed to respond to these challenges by generating concrete opportunities for local residents and migrants to access the labour market. More specifically, the project seeks to: (i) improve participants’ personal, technical and transversal skills in line with labour market needs, by involving companies and social enterprises directly in training activities; (ii) foster meaningful interaction and cooperation between locals and migrants, thereby strengthening social cohesion and integration; and (iii) reduce unemployment in Fuenlabrada by increasing participants’ chances of entering employment or entrepreneurship, with a target of at least 20% labour‑market insertion by the end of the project. Through a public-private partnership led by the local government and involving civil society organisations and companies, the programme also aimed to test innovative approaches that municipalities could not otherwise implement without external support.
Country: Spain
City: Fuenlabrada, Madrid
EU member state: Yes
Geographic scale: Neighbourhood
City size: Small (191 000 residents)
Date launched: 2018
Current status: Completed
Date of conclusion (if applicable): 2021
Policy pillar(s): Labour markets, Other: Integration of migrants
Target group(s): People with a migrant background, People at risk of poverty and social exclusion, Unemployed or underemployed individuals,
Funding and budget:
Total budget: EUR 4 491 677.75
Funding sources: EU
EU funds/programmes: UIA (Urban Innovative Actions), European Regional Development Fund
Stage 1 – Diagnose
The project was grounded in an initial analysis of the local context of Fuenlabrada, which set out key challenges related to unemployment, migration and social inclusion. The project documentation highlighted the city’s fast demographic growth, fuelled by immigration as almost 14% of the population in 2021 had migrated from another country. This fast demographic growth came with high unemployment levels, particularly among vulnerable groups, and the local government noted that migrants faced specific difficulties in accessing employment. This contextual analysis was complemented by preparatory work to identify sectors of the local economy with potential labour demand, as well as by consultations with partner organisations and companies. Together, these elements informed the definition of the target groups, the focus on collaborative training between locals and migrants, and the selection and design of the training laboratories implemented under the project.
Stage 2 – Prioritise
Building on the initial contextual analysis, the project prioritised both target groups and areas of intervention, aligned with Fuenlabrada’s inclusion and employment challenges. Priority was given to unemployed residents of the municipality, with particular attention to people at risk of social exclusion, including migrants. The project established participation targets to ensure the presence of migrants among project beneficiaries, reflecting the programme’s explicit integration objective.
At the same time, priority economic sectors were selected based on an assessment of local labour‑market opportunities and discussions with companies and partner organisations. While the original design emphasised innovative and emerging sectors, the project progressively prioritised sectors with more immediate and realistic employment potential within the local business fabric, particularly small and medium‑sized enterprises. This prioritisation directly informed the configuration of the training and employability pathways offered to participants.
Stage 3 – Design and mobilise
The design of the programme was structured around a public-private partnership coordinated by the local government and involving civil society organisations, social enterprises and private companies. Training activities were organised through Business Challenge Laboratories (BC Labs), combining sector‑specific technical training with transversal employability skills developed through the Experimental Employment and Integration Teams (ETEIs). This design aimed to bring training closer to labour‑market needs while promoting exchanges and cooperation between local participants and migrants. Indeed, all groups of trainees were mixed and had to include at least 30% of migrants.
During this stage, the project mobilised stakeholders, recruited trainers, engaged companies and developed outreach and selection mechanisms. The design also incorporated flexibility, allowing training content, delivery formats and partnerships to be adapted during implementation. This was particularly important given administrative constraints, the limited competence of municipalities in employment policy, and the need to operate partly outside the framework of official qualifications.
Stage 4 – Implement
Implementation was organised through four successive editions of the programme. Each edition combined sector‑specific technical training, transversal employability skills, and practical links to companies, delivered through collaborative group work involving both local participants and migrants. The local government, through the autonomous body CIFE (Center of Employment, Training and Entrepreneurship), was responsible for overall project management and coordination, including participant recruitment and selection, contracting trainers, managing training spaces, and liaising with partner organisations and companies. Civil society organisations played an important role in outreach to migrants and other vulnerable groups, while companies contributed to training design, delivery and, in some cases, practical training placements. Moreover, after the European funding ended, the City Council (through CIFE) continued implementing the MILMA methodology with its own funds. It is currently participating in the CONSOLIDATE project, coordinated by EUROCITIES through the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), to share knowledge with other European cities and continue developing integrated training programs.
Stage 5 – Monitor, learn and adapt
Monitoring and learning accompanied implementation throughout the project, relying on participant follow‑up, surveys, qualitative feedback from trainers and companies, and internal reflection processes. Insights gained during implementation led to several adaptations, including reorienting training towards sectors with stronger local labour demand, increasing the use of on‑the‑job training where business challenges proved difficult to operationalise, and adjusting participation mechanisms to facilitate the inclusion of migrants facing structural barriers.
The evaluation revealed a job placement rate of 32.5%, close to the target of 35% and higher than typical training programmes (20%). In total, 182 participants found a job, including 66 people with migrant backgrounds and 51 people who had faced long-term unemployment.
The city government identifies the following lessons emerging from this project: the difficulty of engaging private companies in employment training with social objectives, the limited competences of municipalities in employment policy, challenges in building trust with migrant participants, and the high cost of innovation without external funding. These lessons position MILMA as a learning‑oriented pilot that generated evidence and practical insights to inform future employment and integration policies.
1. Situate the city within its structural context: cities may benefit from anchoring inclusive growth policies in a clear diagnosis of local demographic and labour market dynamics. In Fuenlabrada, the project explicitly targeted migrant integration and youth unemployment, contributing to positive outcomes.
2. Identify population groups facing the greatest barriers: the example of the MILMA project shows that inclusive growth policies are more effective when they explicitly target and adapt to the needs of disadvantaged groups, rather than relying on broad undifferentiated interventions.
3. Design integrated intervention packages: rather than focusing on standalone training, the MILMA project combined training with social interaction between migrants and locals, and labour market exposure. This supported cooperation between longstanding and new residents, while improving employment outcomes.
Milma Project [Proyecto Milma] (Webpage): https://www.ayto-fuenlabrada.es/web/portal/w/proyecto-milma-1
Milma Project [Proyecto Milma] (Webpage): https://cife.ayto-fuenlabrada.es/milma/
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