The Councillor of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jéssica de León, explained in the Parliament of the Canary Islands the package of actions that the Ministry is developing to reduce youth unemployment and prevent the departure of young people from their islands or from the archipelago due to lack of opportunities.
In her speech, the counselor highlighted that the labor insertion of young people is an «absolute priority» for her Department. According to her, Canary Islands closed 2025 with 7,714 young people in unemployment, which represents a decrease of 10% compared to 2024.
Furthermore, the Archipelago not only reached the lowest unemployment rate in its history in this age group, 19.41% according to the Active Population Survey (EPA), but also stood below the national average. Added to these data is the increase in affiliation to Social Security in this group, which grew more than 11% at the close of the year.
De León also highlighted the positive evolution of youth unemployment in islands like El Hierro, where unemployment decreased by 14.5% in 2025. «We are aware of the difficulty involved in retaining talent on islands, but the data shows that the labor market offers more and more opportunities».
To reduce the geographical gap and consolidate emerging talent, the Servicio Canario de Empleo (SCE) develops in 2026 a record training plan of 67 million euros, integrating for the first time tele-training to facilitate access from any point of the archipelago.
Programs to boost youth employability
The strategy of the Department of Tourism and Employment to strengthen youth employability is articulated through various programs promoted by the SCE, aimed at those under thirty years old.
Among them stands out First Professional Experience, aimed at the hiring of recently graduated young people in city councils, with an allocation of 2.5 million euros throughout this fiscal year.
Along these same lines, the program Nuevas Oportunidades de Empleo (NOE) is developed, focused on facilitating the first job placement of qualified individuals through their hiring by the island councils.
For young people who have not completed their training, the Ministry keeps active the Second Chance Program, aimed at young people without compulsory qualification, which allows them to train and obtain professional certificates while accessing a work experience.
The Ministry also promotes initiatives such as Incentívate, a package of subsidies for alternating or internship contracts for young people registered in the Sistema Nacional de Garantía Juvenil; Certifícate, focused on promoting the hiring of people with a professional certificate; and the Programas Integrales de Empleo or the PFAE and PIIIL programs, in which the young population constitutes a priority group for guidance and labor insertion.
"We not only offer an immediate opportunity, but real tools so that young Canarians can develop a life project in their own land and are not forced to go abroad," concluded De León.