SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Jan. 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife, through the Youth and Training department, announced this Monday the outcomes of the ‘Ponos 2024 Project’, which has seen participation from nearly 4,000 individuals on the island, with over 300 securing employment amongst the 237 businesses involved in the 2023-2024 edition of the project.
This information was shared by the Minister of Youth, Serafín Mesa, during a press briefing held in the Noble Hall of the island’s corporation, accompanied by the Minister of Education and Employment, Efraín Medina; the manager of the University of La Laguna Foundation, Julio Brito; and the Ponos project coordinator, Paula Arrocha.
Serafín Mesa expressed his contentment with the impressive results achieved this year, thanking the University of La Laguna and the participating companies for their support in an initiative that he described as “essential for job opportunities and the professional development of youth on the island.”
Similarly, the Minister of Education and Employment, Efraín Medina, emphasised that the Ponos Project is a “demonstration” of success when “the public sector, private sector, and institutions work collaboratively.”
He believes that “the integrated efforts undertaken have been vital in achieving such positive outcomes.”
Julio Antonio Brito referred to the Ponos Project as “iconic” and commended “the talent and the team” that have enabled the meeting of the programme’s objectives, for which he expressed gratitude to the Tenerife Cabildo for allowing the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna to provide the necessary training resources.
INNOVATIVE METHODOLOGY
The Cabildo of Tenerife initiated the ‘Ponos’ programme aimed at guidance and initial employment opportunities for young people in 2021, administered by the General Foundation of the University of La Laguna.
The aim is to foster the integration of young individuals between the ages of 16 and 35 into the workforce while enhancing their skills through an innovative approach.
This entails conducting cross-disciplinary and coordinated efforts among various areas to improve training and incorporate more young individuals into the job market daily, as per a statement from the Cabildo.
In the 2023-2024 edition, 524 employability workshops have been conducted, attended by 2,729 participants, with the training background of those involved being primarily university-level, followed by Vocational Training.
This year, one of the project’s innovations was the inclusion of the fashion sector as an experimental and cutting-edge initiative, aimed at linking emerging talent with genuine opportunities within the fashion industry.
Its purpose is to provide young individuals pursuing training programmes and degrees in fashion with a platform to unleash their creativity, enhance their skills, and develop a business mindset.
Each year, ‘Ponos’ supports approximately 3,000 young individuals and awards around 300 scholarships, six of which were initially designated for this edition of the ‘Ponos Moda’ project.
The Ponos offices are situated in Santa Cruz, Candelaria, Arona, Guía de Isora, Los Realejos, Santa Úrsula, and La Laguna.
From these locations, customised training is provided, and individual guidance sessions are conducted, as well as applications for Ponos placement scholarships, which allow young individuals to work with associated companies for a maximum of five months while receiving training to enhance their employability.
In the fashion sector, 48 services were provided, comprising 18 training programmes, resulting in 11 job placements.
Additionally, a total of 36 workshops focused on entrepreneurship were conducted, with 132 young participants in attendance.
