Redaccion
Government initiative in the Canary Islands concludes the course by awarding 90% of enrolled boys and girls with certification, with most already in the hiring process at the companies where they completed their internships
The General Directorate of Relations with Africa is finalizing a new edition of the project with the aim of continuing to generate opportunities in Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia to discourage migration
‘Tierra Firme’ has successfully completed the dual vocational training of 244 young people in Senegal, representing 90% of the 270 boys and girls initially enrolled in the project. These 244 Senegalese youths now have the certification accrediting that they have completed one of the seven courses launched by the Government of the Canary Islands at the end of last year with the goal of facilitating their labor integration and discouraging migration through the dangerous Atlantic Route.
In addition, just one week after receiving their certificates, many of these boys and girls are already in the process of being hired by some of the 14 Spanish and Canary Island companies established in Senegal where they conducted their vocational training internships, a crucial entry into the labor market to ensure a solid life project in their country and avoid having to take risky journeys on small boats.
The initial employability data collected by the General Directorate of Relations with Africa indicates that around 40 beneficiaries of the plumbing, electricity, and construction courses offered in Senegal will be hired by the internship companies.
Similarly, 20 textile students already have contracts with Company Number 1, while the rest are expected to start working when a new plant of this Canary Island company opens on the outskirts of Dakar. The same applies to the 18 boys and girls from the renewable energy course who will be hired by the companies where they trained, and the 58 from the tourism course who interned at reputable hotel chains like RIU, Pullman, and Horizons Bleus.
The 244 young beneficiaries of ‘Tierra Firme’ in Senegal received their certificates accrediting their training at the closing ceremony of all courses held last week at the National Theater Daniel Sorano in Dakar, an emotional diploma presentation that included the participation of the Director General of Relations with Africa, Luis Padilla, and the Spanish Ambassador to Senegal, Dolores Ríos.
Representatives of the Senegalese government were also present, to whom the representative of the Government of the Canary Islands thanked for their collaboration, stating that «the involvement of local authorities is essential» to carry out ‘Tierra Firme’. In particular, he highlighted the support for the project from the Director General of the National Office of Vocational Training of the country, Mouhamadou Lamine Bara Lo.
Luis Padilla explained that during the meeting, he was able to witness firsthand the «resounding success» of the initiative launched by the autonomous government with the support of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Senegal, as well as receiving the «enormous gratitude» shown by the young people for having had the opportunity to train and stay in their country working with a solid life project.
The Director General of Relations with Africa also confirmed that his department is already working on a new, «even more ambitious» phase of ‘Tierra Firme’ in Senegal, while in the coming months it will be consolidated in Mauritania, and in Gambia, two other key countries on the Atlantic migration route. In fact, a pilot project focused on the construction sector has already been completed in Mauritania, and the process is underway in Gambia to offer training in sectors such as healthcare and tourism.
High employability level
The aim of this pioneering initiative by the Government of the Canary Islands is to facilitate the creation of quality employment in the African countries of origin and transit for migration towards the archipelago. Thanks to ‘Tierra Firme’, over 300 young people from Senegal and Mauritania have received vocational training in the past year, and the vast majority are currently working in Spanish companies where they completed their internships.
The vocational training courses that have just concluded in Senegal began to be taught at the end of last year with the support of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Senegal. After completing the theoretical training stage, 244 of the 270 initially enrolled young people began their internship period in 14 associated companies in March, a step that guarantees their employability given the lack of qualified labor in the country.
This new and much broader phase of the ‘Tierra Firme’ project had a budget of 500,000 euros. The beneficiaries are Senegalese youths of both sexes aged between 18 and 35. Most of them belong to disadvantaged groups at risk of social exclusion.
The training has focused on sectors of great relevance to the economy of Senegal and to the Spanish companies established in the country. Specifically, thanks to ‘Tierra Firme’, courses have been conducted in tourism and hospitality (with 58 graduates), textiles (66), construction and plumbing (17), construction and electricity (18), construction focusing on scaffolding and masonry (50), agriculture (41), textiles (68), and renewable energies (8).
In Senegal, ‘Tierra Firme’ began its journey last summer with a pilot project that trained 30 young people, a similar number to those who participated in the start of vocational training in Mauritania. Its activation is also underway in Gambia, with the aim of working at the origin in the three key countries on the migration route to the Canary Islands.
Public-private collaboration
The dual vocational training offered by the Government of the Canary Islands to 244 young people in Senegal has repeated three sectors present in the pilot project launched in the summer of 2024: agriculture, textiles, and tourism. Additionally, courses in construction and renewable energies were added, two sectors where Spanish and Canary Island companies demand qualified labor in this West African country.
The coordination of the tourism and hospitality course was handled by the Official Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Senegal, and the training took place at the Center for Tourism Trades Reference (CRMT) and at the Higher Institute of Professional Education of Thies (ISEP Thies). The 50 beneficiary youths then completed 12 weeks of internships in companies selected prior to the training.
On the other hand, the plumbing and electricity courses were organized by the Provincial Federation of Metal Companies and New Technologies of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (FEMETE) and the Provincial Federation of SMEs in the metal and new technologies sector of Las Palmas province (FEMEPA). The training in the field of scaffolding and masonry was coordinated by the Construction Labor Foundation. It benefited 59 Senegalese youths and was conducted at the 2IFA Academy in Dakar.
The dual vocational training courses in agriculture, textiles, and renewable energies were directly managed by the Technological Institute of the Canary Islands (ITEC). On the ground, the theoretical-practical training in agriculture was provided by the Higher Institute of Professional Education of Thiès, a center belonging to the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation of Senegal, and the training was offered by the Canarian company Agroislas.
Regarding renewable energies, the training takes place at the CERER (Center for Studies and Research on Renewable Energies), an institute affiliated with the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD).
Finally, the textile training sponsored by ‘Tierra Firme’ was conducted at the Future Incubator Learning Center CAIF, an institution based in Dakar specializing in vocational training in Textiles, Fashion, Sewing, and Hairdressing, while the internships were carried out at the Canarian Company Number 1 with the collaboration of the Canary Islands Indias Vocational Training Center in Tenerife.
From now on, the Government of the Canary Islands will carry out a final phase of monitoring and support for the labor integration of the young people who have completed their vocational training with the goal of replicating the 100% success achieved in the pilot project.
