Teaching job search - La Provincia

The commitment of the Las Palmas University Foundation to improve the employability of senior graduates has led them to consolidate the 'Professional Growth for Employment' program. Since 2018, every year 150 young people, under 30, acquire skills for their labor insertion.

The step between completion of studies and job search is, Generally, the most difficult for young people. Guiding, training, and providing them with tools to successfully address their job placement is the objective of the program. Professional growth for employment, from the Las Palmas University Foundation (FULP) aimed at 150 children under 30 years of age, university graduates, Higher Professional Training or level 3 professional certificates.

The project, co-financed by the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Equality of the Canary Government and the European Social Fund through the 2014-2020 Youth Employment Operational Program, celebrates its third edition with the hiring of two technicians, a computer scientist and a labor counselor, to serve the 150 young people.

"The program Professional growth for employment arises from the need to help young people who do not have work experience, to start their profession. It has two main lines of action, one is the hiring in personnel practices to develop the project, and the second, the attention to 150 graduates who will make a personalized itinerary that helps them prepare to get access to the labor market, "said Barbara Vicente Sarmiento, responsible for Employment of the FULP.

The aforementioned program contains a series of actions, such as testing. on-line to analyze the level of employability and languages, the entrepreneurial profile, as well as the transversal and digital skills. In addition, there is access to different training actions, workshops and gender equality awareness talks; and to individualized tutoring with professionals who will guide the recent graduate to make the job search more effective.

The computer technician and the technician in labor orientation are responsible for the training process, and to guide young people on how to show their profile to companies, the use of job search platforms and the different options of internships or labor contracts to which they can access.

"The program arises from the need to support these two people who, in turn, help a significant number of young people. The IT technician is responsible for developing the management application, helping the development of the courses on-line... and the job guidance is responsible for advising, informing and training the 150 beneficiaries of the program who are actively seeking employment, "said Barbara Vicente.

The employment orientation consists of informing them about how they can improve their curriculum or their letter of introduction to the companies; on the current tools and sources of job search used by Canary Islands companies; the different job offers related to each degree; as well as the calls for scholarships or internships, both national and international, "and everything that may contribute to increasing the employability of these young people."

Actions

Regarding training activities, workshops are held to work on transversal competencies, such as communicative skills to overcome a selection process. "For each workshop we convene between 10 and 15 people to practice the communication skills necessary to successfully overcome a job interview," said the head of Employment of the University Foundation of Las Palmas.

Workshops will also be held. on-line for young people to improve their digital skills. In total, each participant can choose a course from an offer of six. And as a novelty this year, the counselor, supported by technicians from the University Foundation itself and qualified staff, will give workshops to improve sensitivity around gender equality.

"At the end of the itinerary, the beneficiary will be more aware of their skills and potential that will allow them to face the labor market with greater guarantees of success. Also, they will receive a personalized guidance report and a certificate of achievement of the program," said Barbara Vicente, who highlighted the great demand that this career guidance and counseling program registers each year.