Andalucía launches employment plan for long-term unemployed aged over 52

The Spanish government's cabinet of senior ministers has taken note of the new call for proposals as part of the latest programme of jobseeker projects launched by the regional government of Andalucía. This particular programme aims to provide guidance, training and job placement services for the long-term unemployed aged over 52. Non-profit organisations and local councils or other independent, local bodies will implement this programme, which has an overall budget of ten million euros.

In a press statement, the Junta de Andalucía explained that the aim of these comprehensive projects by the regional ministry for employment, business and self-employment is to improve the employability of 2,219 unemployed people in Andalucía that belong to this age group so that they acquire the professional and technical skills necessary to (re-)enter the labour market. To this end, it includes job guidance activities such as employability assessments and the design of personalised job placement paths to facilitate the participants' job searches.

The projects also include training activities for the acquisition of technical knowledge and work skills, as well as integration initiatives such as job support, preparation for job placement, employment market research, attracting job offers and candidate nominations for eligible participants.

Thus, the programme, launched by the Andalusian employment service (SAE), sets out that at least 40% (888 out of 2,219) of the people participating in these projects for whom a comprehensive, job-hunting project is designed, must secure employment, be that as an employee or as self-employed. Long-term unemployed individuals over 52 years of age may participate in these comprehensive projects, which must be implemented within a maximum period of 18 months by the beneficiary entities.

Entities applying for these grants, whose application period ends on 9 October 2025, will receive 3,500 euros per person assisted (those who have received at least ten hours of job guidance actions and have completed one or more training courses of at least 50 hours duration) and 2,500 euros per person employed or becoming self-employed. Those considered to have been 'employed' will be those who receive at least 40 hours of job guidance and enter the labour market for a period of no less than four months or no less than three months if their professional activity is in the agricultural sector.

The grants for the development of these comprehensive projects (with a limit of 60 projects if the entity operates in a single province and up to 180 projects if active in two or more provinces) will be used to finance the costs of providing care to the participating individuals, including the social security costs of the technical staff providing the service on a full-time basis.

The beneficiary entities will receive 80% of the grant once the award resolution is issued, with the remaining 20% being paid upon project completion. The required application form is available at the SAE's website.

In the last two years, the SAE has developed two calls for proposals for this programme of comprehensive projects for job placement. These calls are aimed at two broad categories of people across Andalucía: one is those in vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, the over-45s, migrants, those experiencing social exclusion or those receiving benefits, unemployment or jobseeker benefits. The other is aimed at young people. With a total investment of more than 283 million euros, this programme from the Junta has facilitated the improvement of the skills and qualifications of more than 63,000 people to date, of whom more than 25,000 are expected, finally, to secure employment.