Free Digital Skills Training Launched in Fuerteventura for 1,851 Residents
The program, presented by the Cabildo and ACIISI, will train 17,488 people in the province of Las Palmas over 21 months.
Program Overview
The Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society (ACIISI)—a body of the Canary Government’s Ministry of Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture—unveiled a free digital‑skills training program for citizens on Tuesday. The event, held on the island of Fuerteventura, gathered island authorities, business representatives, associations and media.
- Javier Franco, director of ACIISI, highlighted that the initiative will train 1,851 people in Fuerteventura, part of Lot I for the province of Las Palmas, awarded to Adecco Formación.
- Migdalia Machín, minister of Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture, stated that the scheme will train 17,488 people in Las Palmas over 21 months, with a budget of €1,983,838, financed by the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MRR) – Next Generation EU.
Island Distribution of Lot I
The contract aims to train 17,488 people across the province, distributed proportionally to each island’s population:
- Gran Canaria: 13,228 people
- Lanzarote–La Graciosa: 2,409 people
- Fuerteventura: 1,851 people
At least 50 % of the participants must be women, in line with the Recovery Plan’s gender‑equality targets. Across the entire archipelago, the two provincial lots will enable training for 33,644 people.
In‑Person Free Training
- The courses are in‑person and free of charge, with a minimum of 7.5 hours covering basic digital competencies.
- Objectives: enable citizens to communicate online, carry out administrative procedures, make electronic purchases and transactions, and interact with public administrations autonomously.
The program gives special priority to groups that traditionally face barriers to digital inclusion:
- Older adults
- Low‑income households
- Individuals with low educational attainment
- Residents of non‑urban areas
Contract incentives include:
- Collaboration with social‑economy or third‑sector entities.
- Training activities in municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants.
- Innovative measures that boost impact on non‑capital islands and promote female participation.
Strategic Opportunity for Fuerteventura
During the presentation, ACIISI’s director emphasized that the training represents a strategic opportunity for the island, enhancing employability and strengthening its productive fabric amid digital transformation.
“Reducing the digital divide is not just a technological issue; it is a matter of equal opportunity. With this initiative we guarantee that the citizens of Fuerteventura have access to key tools for their personal and professional development,” he said.
ACIISI called on local companies, associations and social entities to help disseminate the program, ensuring the training target is met and its impact maximized.
Carmen Alonso, councilor for New Technologies of the Cabildo of Fuerteventura, added: “It is essential that digital tools are within reach of everyone and that they serve to improve our daily lives as citizens. All our training actions are oriented toward this goal, and in this case we are collaborating on an initiative that will train more than 1,800 people in Fuerteventura to boost employability and reinforce our productive fabric.”
Susana del Pino, operations director for the public‑sector division of Adecco, explained: “This is a practical, face‑to‑face training action that requires no prior knowledge and is accessible to the entire population of Fuerteventura, aimed at all groups and individuals to close the digital gap.”
Other attendees included Rosa Rodríguez, councilor for New Technologies of Puerto del Rosario, representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, the Association of Merchants of Puerto del Rosario, the Mauritanian Women Sociocultural Association (DIMBE), and various business and associative leaders from the island.