SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 9 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Tenerife Cabildo’s Governing Council has sanctioned the allocation of over 3.5 million euros towards two programmes aimed at nurturing youth talent, coinciding with a decrease in unemployment within this demographic from 35% to 24% over the past year.
The ‘PRACTICE Programme’, having a fund of 2.5 million euros, concentrates on providing the initial job experience for qualified youths who have yet to find a position relevant to their qualifications.
This initiative targets individuals with university education, vocational training, or professional certificates, and will be implemented through the direct employment of these candidates by companies and organisations associated with the Cabildo.
Furthermore, the Cabildo has sanctioned the initiation of the ‘Talentum CEDeI’ initiative, which will commence in 2025 with a budget of 1 million euros, aimed at curbing the exodus of specialised young talent.
Through the Innovation sector, this subsidy scheme is directed towards SMEs on the island engaging in fields associated with technological innovation, including aerospace, biotechnology, gaming, audiovisual, blue economy, renewable energies, and information and communication technologies. This initiative is expected to facilitate the employment of 150 individuals.
The president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, emphasised the significance of the initiatives endorsed by the municipal authority, stating that “youth unemployment, along with job insecurity, constitutes one of the major obstacles to the independence of young individuals and access to adequate housing.”
“Without a first job opportunity and stable employment, it becomes impossible for them to embark on an independent life journey,” she asserted.
According to the latest statistics, over 65% of young residents in the Canary Islands continue to live with their parents due to the scarcity of stable opportunities and the exorbitant cost of housing.
Specifically, “the aim of ‘PRACTICA’ is to disrupt the cycle of insufficient professional experience that obstructs young individuals from securing their first job. We aspire for these youths to translate their theoretical knowledge into practical settings, obtaining valuable work experience,” Dávila added.
To date, 15 companies and organisations associated with the Cabildo have expressed their interest in participating in the programme, with contracts ranging from a minimum of six months to a maximum of twelve months.
Alongside practical experiences, participants will receive training in essential skills such as teamwork and communication, as well as tailored guidance and support services to enhance their employability post-contract.
“It isn’t merely about offering a first opportunity; rather, it’s about equipping them with the tools to compete in the labour market with greater chances of success,” the president elucidated.
Additionally, “through ‘Talentum CEDeI’ we strive to ensure that the talent cultivated on our island finds avenues for professional growth, negating the need to seek alternatives outside Tenerife,” she explained.
The programme will enable each beneficiary company to secure up to 6,000 euros for each individual trained, with a cap of 12 individuals per entity.
In this manner, the Cabildo aims to fortify qualified employment and stimulate the growth of emerging sectors in Tenerife, creating a conducive environment for generating quality employment and ensuring the sustainable development of the island’s economy.
OPEN CALL IN 2025
The window for applications for the ‘Talentum CEDeI’ subsidy is set to open at the start of 2025, facilitating companies in strategising their training plans for the forthcoming year.
The terms and conditions will be available on the Tenerife Science and Technology Park’s website starting from next November.
The Cabildo has also endorsed an investment of 1.5 million euros to improve business connectivity between Santa Cruz and the Gúímar Valley.
Dávila described this as a “crucial step” towards the technological modernisation of Tenerife, with the call for tender for the project involving the installation of a fibre optic network spanning 20 kilometres along the Southern Highway (TF-1).
This section, linking Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the Valle de Güímar Industrial Estate, is expected to have a completion timeframe of five months.
The network will traverse the municipalities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, El Rosario, Candelaria, Arafo, and Güímar, thereby establishing robust and reliable connectivity for economic and industrial activities in the region.
Additionally, the Government Council has approved the allocation of 1.3 million euros for the rehabilitation works on the TF-344 in San Juan de la Rambla, Los Realejos, and La Guancha.
The project will involve the refurbishment of the pavement in the median stretch of the previously mentioned municipalities, enhancing safety for over 300 vehicles daily, many of which are heavy, traversing this five-kilometre road section.
Moreover, the Government Council has sanctioned the decision of the Consortium for Prevention, Fire Extinction and Rescue of the Island of Tenerife to approve a subsidy of 400,000 euros for the eight Volunteer Firefighters Associations towards the acquisition of a Forestry Light Bomb (BLF or Deterrent) vehicle.
In another development, the Vice President of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Lope Afonso, announced the approval of a multi-year expenditure of 404,400 euros aimed at securing a maintenance service for lifting devices in IASS centres, thus enhancing accessibility and user safety in these social and health facilities.
Furthermore, Afonso noted that regarding the Social Action sector, the extension of the contract for the residential care service of 106 placements in Tenerife for individuals with disabilities due to mental illness received approval, along with two credit modification approvals intended for the renewal of Sinpromi’s IT infrastructure, totalling 105,000 euros.
“The importance of this agreement lies in the economic enhancement aimed at supporting the quality standards that beneficiaries receive, as the cost per place per day will be updated to exceed 82 euros, marking an increase of nearly 30 euros over the previous rate,” he emphasised.
Additionally, Lope Afonso communicated the Government Council’s agreement on awarding the services contract for the establishment of a Big Data Platform and a Data Governance Office for Tourism in Tenerife, included in the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU.
The project objectives include creating a Big Data platform to optimise the analysis and management of tourism data on the island and establishing a Data Governance Office to oversee the effective and secure utilisation of this data. The contract is valued at 440,978 euros and is set for a 12-month execution period following its signing.
In the cultural sector, the Government Council has approved the criteria and initiation of subsidies for programming within Tenerife’s private performing arts venues for 2024.
Furthermore, the Governing Council has ratified the regulations and commencement of subsidies for sports clubs in Tenerife participating in official non-professional competitions at the national level for the 2024/2025 season.
The total funding available for this call amounts to 2,850,000 euros.
