Spinning opportunities: inclusive employment in rural Spain
CESAL’s Rural+ Talent Route program is paving the way to employment for the most vulnerable groups

ESF+
Each case is different, and there are many and varied reasons for unemployment in rural areas: immigrants who encounter difficulties related to their documentation, language or lack of recognized training; people with disabilities who find it more difficult to find adapted positions in these areas; or simply men and women who need to update their skills to find employment and do not know where or how to do this. In addition, in rural areas there is an additional drawback: not having a driving license or your own vehicle makes it extremely difficult to get around in areas with a limited public transport network.
CESAL’s Rural Talent Route+ project, funded by the ESF+ and Fundación MAPFRE within the framework of the +Rural grants, focuses on turning barriers into opportunities. This has already been the case for 339 people who have benefited from the programme so far, almost half of whom are now in work, while the rest are receiving training to help them find employment.
A good example is that of María Ángeles, a 50-year-old woman whose health was suffering because she could not find a job. Her previous work had been very difficult and she did not know how to face job interviews. After completing a training program and working on her social skills to regain her self-esteem, she regained confidence in her abilities. Today, thanks to this initiative, María Ángeles has a permanent contract at a restaurant.
Another example is Soumaya. This Moroccan woman, the mother of three young children, came to the project because of the difficulties she was having finding the job she so badly needed. She was not lacking in enthusiasm or willpower, but in this case, what was letting her down was the fact that she had not done any prior work to identify her strengths. It turns out that her planning and organizational skills, her ability to work in a team and her culinary expertise made her an excellent candidate for a job in a kitchen. Today she has a permanent contract as a kitchen assistant, has great promotion prospects and also receives 30% of the restaurant’s profits.
Other times, a lack of knowledge when it comes to finding their first job can paralyse young people with no experience. This is the case of María, a young woman from La Mancha who explains how she had been unemployed for many years because she did not know what direction to take. Thanks to the training provided by CESAL, she overcame her insecurity and discovered her vocation as a seamstress.
The key to CESAL’s work is comprehensive, individualized support to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each person, and the special ability of its local technicians to facilitate dialogue between unemployed people, the public authorities and the private sector. As a result, employment opportunities emerge, even those that were previously unknown at the local level, which the public authorities can support: a chain that, when it works well, is infallible.
Thanks to the Rural+ Talent Route project, it has been possible to mobilize people and companies, demonstrating that living and prospering in a rural environment is possible for anyone who receives the right support.
Fundación MAPFRE will keep working to connect people from rural areas with an inclusive world full of opportunities.



