The CEOE Foundation and the "la Caixa" Foundation join forces for the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the workforce

The president of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, the president of the CEOE Foundation, Fátima Báñez, and the president of the "la Caixa" Foundation, Isidro Fainé, have signed an agreement to promote the inclusion of vulnerable groups in the labour market within the framework of the Incorpora Programme.

Specifically, the CEOE Foundation undertakes, within the framework of the '"Plan Sumamos. Salud + Economía’', to disseminate among business organisations the content of the Incorpora Programme of the "la Caixa" Foundation, both for those companies that, for direct reasons of the COVID-19 pandemic, have seen their economic activity paralysed, and for those companies interested in being able to fill their job vacancies within the framework of the Incorpora Programme.

Other areas in which they will work together will be the holding of awareness-raising sessions on the value of socio-occupational inclusion as a tool for corporate responsibility within the 'Sumamos Plan' or the establishment of protocols for action and the promotion of entrepreneurship.

The Chairman of the "la Caixa" Foundation, Isidro Fainé, stressed that "job creation will be one of the spearheads of the recovery, and it is crucial that these job opportunities also reach vulnerable groups. Alliances such as the one we are announcing today, with committed partners such as CEOE and other socially responsible companies, will enable us to tackle the complex situation resulting from the pandemic by focusing on the people who have the greatest difficulties in finding work".

For his part, the President of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, stressed that "with this Alliance, the CEOE Foundation and the "la Caixa" Foundation join forces to work for the integration of people into the workplace, bringing together social and business needs, and once again demonstrating the social commitment of Spanish companies, which has been demonstrated as never before during the crisis by COVID-19".

The CEOE Foundation's 'Plan Sumamos' includes a set of five initiatives through which companies can help, ranging from testing (providing support for mass testing in their workplaces, donating resources, material and spaces); tracking (supporting the mass adoption of the Radar COVID application through communication campaigns to workers, suppliers or customers); to communication initiatives, attention to the most vulnerable groups or vaccination.

Specifically, within the lines of action in favour of vulnerable groups, the 'Sumamos Plan' includes the 'Sustainable Digitalisation' initiative, through which participating companies donate obsolete electronic equipment which, once reconditioned, is reused by people who need it in the third sector.

Since 2006, the Incorpora programme of the "la Caixa" Foundation has been promoting throughout Spain the recruitment of groups with special difficulties in accessing employment, such as people with disabilities, the long-term unemployed, young people in vulnerable situations, immigrants, ex-prisoners and victims of gender violence, among others.

Incorpora offers companies advice and support in social responsibility actions, in this case focusing on the integration of vulnerable people into the workplace. In 2020, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme provided more than 34,000 jobs thanks to the collaboration of 11,700 companies in this social responsibility project.