Zaragoza, Spain—
From early 2020 to early 2021, the Ricardo Magdalena Employment Workshop promoted training opportunities for unemployed people aged 25 years and above in Zaragoza, Spain.
The focus of the training was on rehabilitation of buildings, construction, painting and gardening. Participants of the courses contributed to the refurbishment of historical buildings in the city.
The key objective of the Ricardo Magdalene Employment Workshop programme was to provide students with professional competences in four specific areas: rehabilitation of buildings, construction, painting and gardening. Courses include a mix of training and employment.
Over a 12 month period from early 2020 to early 2021, the students, who were unemployed people aged 25 and above, acquired work experience and obtained a “Certificate of Professionalism”, an official accreditation that improves their opportunities to (re-)integrate the labour market.
The jobs and services performed by the students were of public utility and interest. In the city of Zaragoza, the workshop focused on the rehabilitation of buildings, including the eastern pavilion at the entrance to the city cemetery (Torrero). Thanks to the programme, it has been possible for the city of Zaragoza to preserve and rehabilitate deteriorated buildings that otherwise would not have had a second chance due to the high costs of refurbishing.
The workshops have fulfilled two missions: the training of the unemployed and the architectural rehabilitation of deteriorated buildings. In addition, the building rehabilitation module was made up entirely of unemployed women, contributing to promoting women’s labour market integration.
Among the key stakeholders involved in the programme, the authorities of the Aragon Autonomous Community have provided grant subsidies to cover part of the salary costs of the entities promoting the workshop.
The workshop differed from other types of adult learning and employment support programmes because it combines theoretical and practical training. From the onset of the workshop, an apprenticeship contract was signed between the promoting entity and the student. In addition, the remuneration received for work could not be less than the Inter-professional minimum wage, which helped motivate people to take part in the programme.
OECD (2022), "Future-proofing adult learning systems in cities and regions: A policy manual for local governments", OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers, No. 2022/03, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/11fa26cc-en.
