Improvement of Employability

Bilbao Ekintza develops plans and projects directed at improving the employability of young people and the unemployed in order to facilitate and contribute to their inclusion in the labour market.

One main line of activity at Bilbao Ekintza includes the improvement of the employability of young people and the unemployed. For this it develops employment plans focussed on offering job experience to these groups. In addition, it sets up projects directed at their training, in order to facilitate their access to the labour market and to contribute to the socio-economic development of the city.

Employment Plan

Bilbao City Council, through the municipal entity Bilbao Ekintza and jointly funded by Lanbide and the Basque Employment Service, develops and implements this Plan, which revolves around two basic lines of action:

Boosting Employment

In this line, Bilbao Ekintza employees people for the development of public interest activities. The requirements for access are to be unemployed and registered as a job seeker with Lanbide, to belong to one of the groups with particular insertion difficulties, also defined by the Basque Employment Service (for example recipient of the income guarantee benefit, under 35 years old, over 45 years old and 6 months unemployed or registered as a job seeker for at least 12 months in the last 18 months prior to the contract or be over 55 years old). In addition, they must be residents in the city of Bilbao.

The contract may last a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 6 months, working full or part-time (minimum 50%), as long as access to the selection process for the job is through Lanbide.

Recruitment Subsidies

This line aims to boost the creation of jobs by offering economic subsidies to local companies for recruiting unemployed people.
In this case, they must also be registered as a job seeker with Lanbide.

There are a variety of different grants offered to businesses for recruitment:

  • Subsidy of €3000 maximum, per contract for full-time employment for 3 months
  • Subsidy of €6000 maximum, per contract for full-time employment for 6 months or more.
  • Subsidy of €9000 maximum, per contract for an unemployed person belonging to a group with insertion difficulties as defined by Lanbide, for full-time employment for 6 months or more.
  • Subsidy for part-time employment for between 3 and 6 months. The subsidy awarded will be proportional to hours worked, which should not be less than 50% of the full working day.

Youth Employment Plan

The objective of this plan is to improve job opportunities, in this case specifically for young people up to the age of 35. The project is jointly funded by Lanbide and the European Social Fund as part of the Youth Operational Programme 2014-2020.

Bilbao Ekintza recruits these individuals in order to carry out activities of public utility or social interest.

To take part in the Youth Employment Plan, it is necessary to be:

  • Over the age of 16 and under 30 years old.
  • Unemployed and registered as a job seeker with Lanbide.
  • Registered in the Youth Guarantee System.
  • Registered with Lanbide with a level of education in line with the job to be performed.
  • Resident in the city of Bilbao.

The contract is full-time and may last for 8 or 12 months. In addition, the job and professional category must be in line with the level of qualifications shown on the young person's CV at Lanbide.

Participation in the selection process for the individuals to be recruited, as with the ordinary Employment Plan, is carried out through Lanbide.

Competence Development

Within the framework of the Employment Plan and Youth Employment Plan, Bilbao Ekintza develops practical training activities aimed at developing the skills of unemployed people participating in these programmes. The subject matter of these actions ranges from the preparation and preparation of CVs to the improvement of personal branding, among others.

Training activities for young people

In addition to deployment of the employment plans to help individuals to access the job market, Bilbao Ekintza also promotes projects to improve the employability of young people in particular, on the basis of the “Bilbao Gazteak Sortzen” strategy.

The objectives include:

  • Encouraging employment and economic activity in Bilbao under sustainability, innovation and collaboration criteria, contributing to the balanced development of the individuals and to the retention of talent, with priority for the city's strategic sectors.
  • To move young people closer to the labour market and to adapt their competences and personal and professional profiles to the requirements of the businesses.
  • To help businesses to meet their needs for young talent in the medium and long term.

In this framework, and on an annual basis, Bilbao Ekintza defines projects and initiatives aimed at advancing towards the achievement of these goals.

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