The "la Caixa" Foundation and the Accenture Foundation join forces against the digital divide for people at risk of exclusion
The coronavirus pandemic has brought about an abrupt change in the way we work and relate to each other, a change that has made it essential to use new technologies for all kinds of everyday tasks. For this reason, the "la Caixa" Foundation and the Accenture Foundation have joined forces to provide digital training to a total of 10,000 people at risk of exclusion throughout Spain and thus improve their chances of finding a job and interacting with their environment.
The Accenture Foundation will offer, through its Emplea+ platform, a wide range of online educational resources to develop a blended learning process. For its part, the "la Caixa" Foundation's socio-occupational insertion programme, Incorpora, will promote the development of this training through the professionals of the collaborating social entities to make it possible for these resources to reach those who need them most. This initiative consolidates the collaboration between the two institutions that began in 2016 to help improve the employability of the most vulnerable people.
"Before the pandemic, it was necessary for all of us to take up the digital challenge. Now it is simply essential. By driving this initiative, we want to ensure that the most vulnerable people, with the least resources, are not left behind. We are delighted to be working hand in hand with the Accenture Foundation to achieve this because, as we know from our experience with the Incorpora programme, building a network of collaboration is fundamental to achieving the goals we set ourselves", says Marc Simón, Deputy Director General of the "la Caixa" Foundation.
Emplea+ programme provides the technicians with material to work on the development of digital skills that will allow users to be open to transformation and digital experience, with an attitude that is receptive to change, collaborative and responsible with new technologies. The training also aims to improve participants' communication skills (comprehension, expression and non-verbal communication), which are also essential in the process of finding a job.
"Digital technologies have shown that they can be key tools to help improve employability. At the Accenture Foundation, we contribute to the transformation and inclusive digitalisation of society by focusing on organisations that, like the "la Caixa" Foundation, work to train and empower people who are vulnerable to employment. To do this, we combine human genius with the most innovative technologies to help people thrive in the digital economy," said Ana Millán, Director of the Accenture Foundation Spain and Accenture's Responsible Business in Spain, Portugal and Israel.
Each Incorpora trainer, from the programme's Training Points, will give the 20-hour course in 10 mixed sessions (face-to-face and online) in a flexible way, adapting the content and methodology to the needs and profiles of the students so that everyone reaches a level that allows them to improve their employability.
The course will work, for example, on identifying the benefits of the digital approach in job search and maintenance, as well as the functionalities and possibilities of e-mail, knowledge of instant messaging applications and video calls for job search, awareness of the digital footprint and privacy management in social networks, among others.
Last year, pilot tests were carried out in Santander, Valladolid, Valencia and Murcia through four social entities (Asociación Nueva Vida, Procomar Valladolid Acoge, Fundación Nova Feina and Fundación Cepaim). The aim of these trials was to test the operation of the project, as well as its effectiveness. This year, 10,000 people will be able to participate in this training project that fights against the digital divide of vulnerable people.
Vanessa Fernández, training technician at the Valencian Community foundation Nova Feina, stresses that this training process is successful "combining theoretical content with practical and agile dynamics, where people can always see the application of the new knowledge acquired in real environments".
For his part, M.T.A., one of the users of the pilot test in Valencia, says: "At 58 years old, you think that digital can be a barrier, but little by little you pick up the pace and it is not an obstacle. Learning to handle digital tools has been very important for me, as I had some shortcomings that I have been able to remedy. Apart from this, you have very professional staff at your side and they will always be there to help you and to help you overcome any difficulties you may have".
The "la Caixa" Foundation's Incorpora employment integration programme offers companies a free advice and support service to promote the recruitment of people with disabilities or in vulnerable situations, such as young people at risk of exclusion, victims of gender violence, the long-term unemployed and ex-prisoners, among others. In 2020, the programme provided 34,274 jobs to people in vulnerable situations thanks to the collaboration of almost 12,000 companies.
The aim of the programme is for people to be agents of their own change in order to get out of difficult situations, and this is achieved through employment as a form of social integration. To this end, it builds bridges between companies and almost 500 social organisations that run the programme throughout Spain. Incorpora technicians are essential figures in the programme and provide comprehensive support to users before, during and after they are hired.
