The high percentage of youth unemployment continues to be one of the main concerns of the Spanish economic system. And it is that our country leads the unemployment rankings of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Specifically, unemployment among Spanish citizens under 25 years of age stands at 38.6%, surpassing nations such as Italy (35.5% youth unemployment) or Greece (30%), and tripling the OECD average rate for July of the current year (11.9%).
With the aim of solving the problem, the European Parliament recently increased the budget of the European initiative for youth employment by 500 million. A continental support for employability, which is accompanied by other state or private strategies, which in recent years have proved essential. This is the case of the so-called Comprehensive Qualification and Employment Program (PICE), framed in the National Youth Guarantee System and managed from the regional Chambers.
Thanks to this program, during the first seven months of this year a total of 544 young people managed to access a job. Of these, 144 users were registered in the Chamber of Valencia, 103 in Castilla-La Mancha and 84 in Andalusia; the provinces where the PICE was most successful in terms of insertion.
At a general level, taking into account its previous data, it represents a commendable boost to youth employment the PICE: since its start in 2015, 1,631 of its beneficiaries (between 16 and 29 years old) have found a job. However, there are many more registered in the program: 61,554 young people who have been able to enjoy its various actions. Among them: Vocational Guidance, which to date has had almost 60,000 participants; a Core Training, through which 27,200 young people have passed; and a specific Training, completed by more than 17,600 registered.
The aforementioned strategies are part of the so-called Training Plan, which aims to adapt the training of young people both to business demand and to their own interests. To this would be added a series of practices in one of the 3,100 companies associated with the PICE. Those located in our country have received the visit of more than 5,600 users of the program, accompanied by technicians from the regional Chambers. In this sense, the PICE favors the hiring of young people with aid of up to 4,950 euros to companies.
Many other companies are located in countries of the European Union and articulate an action that is called the Mobility Plan. Likewise, the program facilitates the entrepreneurship of its beneficiaries with subsidies of up to 1,800 euros, destined to the start of business activity.
With everything, that young person who wants to discover the opportunities offered by the PICE will only have to register in the National Youth Guarantee System. To do this, you must meet the following requirements: be no less than 16 or more than 30 years of age, and not have worked or received educational actions one day before making the request.
