Education

Madrid university studies how training and support enhance vulnerable young migrants' autonomy

Research shows that finding a job is not enough when one enters adulthood in a vulnerable position

Young migrants in Spain learning carpentry. (EFE)

Iñigo Goñi Davó

Madrid

21/08/2026 a las 13:01h.

Research at Francisco de Vitoria University and the Centro de Enseñanza Superior Cardenal Cisneros (UCM), both in Madrid, shows that when vulnerable young migrants receive ... support and training, they make significant improvements in their autonomy, in the transition to adulthood, their sense of purpose, their perceived social support and their concept of self.

For many of these young people, finding a job is important, but it is not the only thing. According to the study, a job is not enough when young people reach adulthood "with outstanding paperwork, qualifications that are difficult to validate and few adults nearby to turn to for help".

Researcher Álvaro Fernández-Moreno says that "these young people's independence does not depend solely on learning a trade: they also need social support, confidence in their own abilities and a clear sense of direction for the future".

The research focuses on the need to develop relationships and a sense of purpose for the autonomy and everyday lives of the vulnerable young migrants who are the subjects of the study.

"The risk is reaching adulthood without a sufficient support network," co-author of the study Herminia Cid García states.

The danger young migrants face is that social and labour market integration requires feeling capable of holding down a job, interacting with others, making decisions and envisaging a possible future. That is why, according to Cid, "educational support makes sense precisely in that area where education intersects with everyday life".

The study involves 47.1 per cent of unaccompanied migrant minors, 35.3 per cent of migrants without a regularised status, 26.3 per cent of people without completed compulsory education and 20.2 per cent of people with foreign qualifications that were not officially recognised. These figures, according to the researchers, illustrate "cumulative vulnerability".

The kitchen as a school

The project was carried out in collaboration with 'La Quinta Cocina': an initiative developed of NGO Cesal that uses gastronomy as an educational tool.

This programme lasts six months and offers young people the opportunity to undertake work placements in the hospitality industry, in restaurants and other businesses within the sector, teaching them not only culinary techniques but also "communication, teamwork, responsibility and emotional management".

Although the research provides useful insights into social and labour market inclusion, it does not allow us to conclude that all the positive outcomes are solely due to the programme, as "the results need to be confirmed by studies that include a control group and long-term follow-up", the UFV concludes.

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