The Government is preparing a new package of subsidies to promote employment. In this case, the program, which has a budget of 30 million euros, will support training projects aimed at unemployed, working or entrepreneurial people acquiring or improving the skills demanded by the ecological transition. The objective is to facilitate access to the labor market and promote professional retraining and ‘green’ entrepreneurship.
The ‘Empleaverde+ 2023 Program’, co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus and managed by the Biodiversity Foundation – of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition – will have two lines of action with a budget of 15 million euros each. In no case may the amount of the projects be less than 150,000 euros and more than two million euros. The regulatory bases have already been published in the Official State Gazette and the call is expected at the end of December.
The First Line is aimed at training for the acquisition or improvement of skills for ‘green’ employment for unemployed or workers, although the trainees, depending on their employment situation, may also fit into the profile. Furthermore, unemployed and working people may participate in the same project, as long as each action is directed at a single profile of recipients.
Alternation training work contracts
For its part, the second is focused on practical training for unemployed people. The aim is to launch initiatives aimed at improving the employability of unemployed people through alternating training work contracts or the equivalent in force at the time of formalization. These are projects aimed at people designed to use “learning by working” methodologies and make it possible to carry out effective work within the framework of the axes together with the training received. The training will be directly related to said work and will favor job placement, the Bioversidad Foundation assures.
This second line of action is aimed at people under 30 years of age and this limit can only be exceeded when they are “a person with a disability, at risk of social exclusion or the training is linked to a level 3 professional certificate.” The contracts that are formalized will have a minimum duration of six months and the training must be given during the period of validity thereof, belonging to one of the following options: professionalism certificate or another training specialty within the catalog of training specialties of the Public Employment Service .
The expected deadline for submitting proposals is two months from the publication of the call, in public information from November 17 and with December 11 as the deadline for receiving allegations. However, there are still 14 million remaining.
The projects must adapt to one of the following priority axes: urban renaturalization; management of natural heritage and protected areas; restoration ecology; sustainable nature tourism; sustainable agricultural operations (agriculture, livestock, beekeeping), sustainable fishing and aquaculture; sustainable forest management; economic circular; prevention, management and transformation of waste; energy rehabilitation of buildings and energy efficiency, construction of low-consumption homes; urban environment, urban planning and sustainable mobility; renewable energy production; climate emergencies, protection and response to extreme events; Electrified means of transport (electric vehicle).
More than 1,300 jobs created and linked to the ‘green’ economy
The ‘Empleaverde Program’ was born with the objective of promoting the sustainability of economic activities in all sectors. Ecological Transition ensures that this has led to the creation of 1,300 jobs linked to the ‘green’ economy during the period 2014-2020. In total, during the ten calls launched, 282 projects have been supported, which have involved more than 28,000 people and more than 200 companies.
According to the report World Social and Employment Outlook 2018: Environmental Sustainability with Employment, from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the adoption of sustainable practices, mainly changes in energy sources, the adoption of policies such as sustainable agriculture, The projected growth in the use of electric vehicles, the move towards a circular economy and the increase in the energy efficiency of existing and future buildings will result in a net increase, between now and 2030, of approximately 18 million jobs in the world (24 million jobs will be created and, in turn, 6 million jobs will be lost).
In Spain, this impact on employment will be determined mainly by the launch of national aircraft and the impact of different European energy, climate, sustainability and biodiversity funds. The National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) projects a net employment creation of 348,000 to 522,000 jobs per year by 2030, with an annual increase in GDP of 34.7 billion euros.
As in any process of change, the ecological transition can produce unequal effects on different groups and sectors. While for some it represents opportunities, in other cases it can cause negative impacts. In relation to the quality of employment, for example, it is observed that, while in some sectors – such as renewable energies or the energy rehabilitation of buildings – working conditions are good, in others, such as the agricultural sector, the situation is worse. , with more precarious jobs (low salaries, temporary employment and almost zero levels of economic, social and institutional recognition).
Concentration in medium or higher-skilled occupations
According to the OECD, most of the job creation and workforce relocation that the ecological transition entails will be concentrated in medium- and higher-skilled occupations. Furthermore, its impact will be greater in occupations where men predominate over women, since many of the sectors linked to this transition have a strong demand for STEM degrees (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
In this way, forecasts indicate that, if measures are not adopted, horizontal and vertical segregation will continue due to existing gender stereotypes. The percentage of employed women compared to the total could be reduced, since some of the activities that are being promoted will mean an increase in jobs in sectors with a male predominance. ·So that women can also benefit from the new job offer, it is essential to adopt appropriate corrective policies, facilitate the acquisition of the necessary professional skills and reinforce coordination between social agents,” warns from the body attached to the department directed by Teresa Ribera. .
Another of their demands is to incorporate, as soon as possible, a core subject on sustainability and the environment in formal education, from Primary Education to the university-Vocational Training stage, so that all citizens acquire minimum and basic knowledge from the beginning. It also considers it important to create a public-private collaborative ecosystem between Administration, social agents and companies for the development of training capabilities.
“The ecological transition is having a significant impact on the employment and economic activity map of our country. In this sense, a transformation and rethinking is taking place in all productive sectors that will represent an important economic opportunity, with its consequent impact on the labor market, not only in terms of employment but also in professional training,” the Bioversidad Foundation emphasizes.
