“Fuerteventura Cares at Home” Showcases Its Work to the EU Social Fund Monitoring Committee
Student workers have already begun providing services in health institutions after a period of theoretical training.
The Training and Alternance with Employment GJ (PFAE) programme “Fuerteventura Cares for You at Home,” run by the Employment Promotion Department of the Cabildo and directed by Nuria Cabrera, received an official visit today from the Monitoring Committee of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) for the Canary Islands. The committee was welcomed by the island councilor together with María Teresa Ortega, director of the Canary Employment Service (SCE).
“Fuerteventura Cares for You at Home” is a Youth Guarantee PFAE focused on the care of dependent persons. The delegation was received at the Centre for Disability Care in Puerto del Rosario, where the fifteen unemployed participants—aged 16 to 30—presented the progress they have achieved and carried out a simulation of the services included in their training itinerary.
The young trainees undergo eleven months of instruction to obtain professional certificates in:
- Socio‑Health Care for Persons at Home (Level 2)
- Socio‑Health Care for Dependent Persons in Social Institutions (Level 2)
These qualifications open pathways to careers as geriatric caregivers, home‑assistance auxiliaries, and caregivers for people with disabilities, the elderly, and other dependent individuals.
“We are already providing services in three public institutions: the Residence and Day Centre for Persons with Disabilities in Puerto del Rosario and the Day‑Stay Socio‑Health Centre Josefina Plaza in Corralejo. Soon we will also carry out home‑based interventions, thanks to an innovative PFAE that focuses on a sector with great potential in Fuerteventura, such as the care of our dependent persons,” said Councilor Nuria Cabrera.
“During the morning we took the opportunity to meet with the staff and director of the SCE to discuss the launch of new PFAE projects for the Cabildo of Fuerteventura,” she added.
María Teresa Ortega highlighted the SCE’s commitment to youth training and employment, noting that the programme improves assistance services across the island.
Representatives of the ESF Monitoring Committee, Marian Raduta and Alexandre Colomba, expressed their hope that the training will be valuable for the participants’ future professional careers.
Also in attendance were:
- Pilar Almeida, Sub‑Director of European Funds Management (Government of the Canary Islands)
- Rafael Feo, Representative of the European Social Fund Managing Unit
- Mon Cabrera, Head of the Economic Planning Service (Government of the Canary Islands)
- Rita Quevedo, Coordinator of the ESF+Government of the Canary Islands)
- SCE technicians Tamia Molina and Eduardo Camino
The SCE technicians presented a diagnosis of the socio‑health sector in the archipelago, underscoring the urgency of promoting projects in this field. Current data indicate a significant demographic challenge: by 2030 the Canary Islands are projected to have around 500,000 residents aged over 56, and 18.4 % of the elderly population (approximately 399,531 individuals) are dependent. These figures demonstrate the pressing need to train specialized professionals capable of meeting this growing social demand.