Spanish towns roll out training schemes for older unemployed workers

The city council of Torrelavega in Cantabria has launched two new training programmes aimed at improving the employability of 60 unemployed residents aged over 52. The initiatives – Torrelavega al cuidado de las personas and Torrelavega gastronómica – provide twelve months of combined classroom instruction and on‑the‑job experience in social‑care, youth activity facilitation, cooking and bar service. Each programme is funded with €793,764 from the Cantabrian Employment Service and will run until July 2027.

In the Valencian municipality of Salinas, the mixed employment‑training project Acción Inserta I has been concluded. Sponsored by the local council and the NGO LABORA, the scheme combined theoretical training with paid work placements for long‑term unemployed people, especially those over 45, with disabilities, low qualifications or victims of gender‑based violence. Participants earned professional certificates and practical experience intended to boost their chances of permanent employment.

Both initiatives reflect municipal efforts in Spain to address labour market exclusion among older and disadvantaged jobseekers through targeted skill development and work integration.