Sierra de las Nieves Receives 1.3 Million from the Regional Government for Training and Job Placement for 60 People

Sierra de las Nieves Receives 1.3 Million from the Regional Government for Training and Job Placement for 60 People

The Employment and Training programs, sponsored by the Department of Employment, last twelve months and alternate professional internships with theoretical instruction

The Andalusian Regional Government’s delegate for Employment, Business, and Self-Employment in Málaga, Carmen Sánchez Sierra, visited the headquarters of the Sierra de las Nieves Association of Municipalities to inaugurate the four “Employment and Training” projects awarded to the association through the 2025 call for proposals. Joining her was the president of the Association and mayor of Istán, José Miguel Marín, as well as the Association’s manager, Tomás Rueda, and council members who serve on this body: the mayor of Alozaina, Antonio Pérez; the mayor of Casarabonela, Antonio Campos; the mayor of Yunquera, José Mª Rodríguez; the mayor of El Burgo, María Dolores Narváez; the mayor of Tolox, Jerónimo Macías; and the mayor of Monda, María Remedios Fernández.

During his welcome address to the participating students, Sánchez Sierra thanked José Miguel Marín and the mayors who are part of the Sierra de las Nieves Association of Municipalities for their commitment and interest in requesting these types of initiatives, since “these programs are the result of a joint effort between the Regional Government of Andalusia, local authorities, and the European Union, whose funding promotes training for the workforce and helps develop the region’s economic fabric and keep its people rooted here,” which is “extremely important” for this area of Málaga, which is striving to retain its population by offering employment opportunities to both the unemployed and the self-employed. Currently, the Sierra de las Nieves area has 24,068 residents, accounting for 1.34% of Málaga’s total population, according to the latest official figures provided by the National Institute of Statistics.

“At the Regional Government of Andalusia, we believe that training is the most effective active employment policy; that is why the Employment and Training project is an ideal option for reducing local unemployment, which currently stands at 1,425 people in Sierra de las Nieves,” the delegate emphasized, adding that through this program, “60 of these unemployed individuals in the area will be hired for one year, earning the minimum wage, while also acquiring the skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to pursue a career in fields with current job openings in their local labor market.”

For his part, the president of the Association of Municipalities and mayor of Istán, José Miguel Marín, thanked the delegate for her attendance and for her “trust” in the organization regarding the development of these projects: “The Association has been committed to this training for more than 30 years—high-quality training that leads to high-quality jobs and yields excellent results. Specifically, the Association serves as the backbone of this training, and it is the municipal governments that are involved in these four projects; I am confident that the team behind each municipal government will do its very best to ensure that the students make the most of this opportunity, as the goal is to train professionals who are in high demand in the job market. By creating synergy among the different levels of government, we will secure better jobs for the residents of our region,” he stated.

Specifically, the funding provided by the Regional Ministry of Employment, Business, and Self-Employment for the implementation of these four projects totals 1,389,308.09 euros. These projects will train 60 young people under the age of 30 in a wide range of fields, including masonry, landscaping, plumbing, and HVAC.

The municipalities where the training programs are held are Monda, Casarabonela, Tolox, and El Burgo, although any young person from any of the towns that make up the Association of Municipalities has had the opportunity to participate in them.

Finally, Carmen Sánchez wished to highlight “the efforts” of the regional government to integrate working-age individuals into the labor market, which is why this latest call for proposals under the “Employment and Training” program has allocated a budget for the entire province totaling 17.8 million euros to fund 52 projects that will benefit 780 participants, all with the aim of “promoting improved training and employability for people without jobs.”