The Tenerife Island Council has approved a budget of 10 million Euros to support the implementation of youth employment initiatives and provide opportunities for the long-term unemployed on the island. This funding has been allocated nearly six months after the PSOE recommended to the Corporation’s president, Rosa Dávila, to allocate funds for employment schemes at the start of the year. This was so that the local authorities could commence utilising them in April, once the ongoing projects were completed.
However, as highlighted by the Socialist Group’s president in the Corporation, Pedro Martín, the Island’s Governing Council has only recently approved the allocation of 10 million Euros in July for this purpose. As a result, these funds will not be accessible for the local councils until at least the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, resulting in a wasted year in terms of fostering employment opportunities.
Pedro Martín reiterated that the Socialists had previously warned about the gap this delay would create in municipal employment schemes. Despite a proposal to amend the budget credits for the island government in 2024, the president did not consider the Socialist Group’s suggestion. Consequently, this disregard would lead to a one-year delay in implementing these measures, according to the PSOE.
“In the previous term, we invested over 54 million Euros in employment schemes. Today, the ruling party approves what we requested last year. However, our proposal was overlooked. Now, it will be too late because by the time the process concludes, the local councils will not be able to adopt them until practically next year,” highlighted Pedro Martín.
Once implemented, the approved grants will facilitate the training of approximately 1,000 individuals. Of these, 750 will be offered employment contracts in their localities to work on projects of local and social significance, as confirmed by Rosa Dávila during a press briefing following the Governing Council.
The distribution of this financial boost will be carried out in alignment with the criteria established by the Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities (Fecam) and will give preference to municipalities with populations of fewer than 5,000 residents. The initiatives will place emphasis on engaging young people under the age of 30 and individuals who have been unemployed for an extended period, with women accounting for at least half of the job placements.
