Getcurroconponoscom is the quirky title of the website, specifically targeted at young individuals aged 16 to 34. The Employment and Youth departments of the Tenerife Council are determined to engage this demographic to facilitate the first job opportunities for nearly 4,000 individuals. This initiative is part of the Ponos Project, which enters its fourth edition for the 2024-2025 academic year. In the previous year, 2023-2024, 524 employability workshops were conducted, resulting in 360 job placements – with participation from 237 companies – totalling 717 since its inception in 2021. The aim is to surpass this figure with a notable innovation: for the first time, this year’s island budget features a dedicated financial allocation of 1.5 million euros.
The statistics
The Minister of Youth, Serafín Mesa, presented the figures this Monday in the Noble Hall of the Cabildo, accompanied by the Minister of Education and Employment, Efraín Medina; the manager of the University of La Laguna Foundation, Julio Brito; and the Ponos coordinator, Paula Arrocha. Mesa expressed his pleasure at the positive results attained and extended his gratitude to the ULL and the participating businesses for their collaboration in this initiative, which he described as “crucial for providing job opportunities and fostering the professional development of young people on our Island, as well as promoting entrepreneurship and the possibility of self-employment through their own ventures.”
Talent and teamwork
Julio Brito emphasised “the talent and the team” that have contributed to achieving the set objectives. He acknowledged the Cabildo for collaborating with the General Foundation “to provide the training resources available to us.” He stressed the notion of “support” rather than adopting a paternalistic approach. The Ponos initiative has particularly resonated with university students in Higher Education or Vocational Training. Paula Arrocha recalled the most sought-after profiles within the job market, including graphic designers and professions related to marketing and technology.
Job integration
The primary goal of Ponos is to enhance the job integration of young people aged 16 to 35 and to develop their skills through an innovative methodology. Our approach involves coordinated efforts across different domains to improve training and facilitate the incorporation of more young individuals into the labour market on a daily basis. In the 2023-2024 edition, there were 524 employability workshops attended by 2,729 participants.
Ponos Fashion
This year’s Ponos Project has introduced an exciting new element: the fashion industry. Ponos Fashion has been launched as an experimental and innovative programme designed to connect emerging talent with genuine opportunities in the thriving textile and accessories market. The aim is to provide young people with fashion-related training courses and qualifications that serve as an engaging platform to cultivate their creativity, skills, and business acumen.
The Minister of Education and Employment, Efraín Medina, highlighted yesterday that the Ponos Project exemplifies how the collaboration of the public, private, and institutional sectors can turn initiatives into reality, as evidenced by the notable results achieved. He considers the collaborative efforts undertaken to be “essential” for attaining such impressive outcomes.
Support and workshops
Specifically within the fashion sector, 48 services were rendered, featuring 18 training paths and resulting in 11 successful job placements. Furthermore, a total of 36 workshops centred on entrepreneurship were conducted, attracting 132 young participants. Ponos supports approximately 3,000 young people annually and offers 300 placement scholarships, of which six were allocated to Ponos Moda. These grants enable young individuals to work with partnered companies for a duration of up to five months while receiving training. The nine locations of the island initiative are spread across seven municipalities: Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Arona, Guía de Isora, Los Realejos, Santa Úrsula, and La Laguna. From these centres, tailored training programmes and individual guidance sessions are provided.
Serafín Mesa explained, “the goal is to connect with young people.” Therefore, “we have removed our Facebook page as it is not their preferred medium.” This is also the rationale behind the distinctive name of the website, Getcurroconponos.com.
