News / 21 October, 2019
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- Alongside mayor Eneko Goia and Deputy Minister Markel Olano, Artolazabal has taken part in the opening of the 2nd International Employment Congress and the 1st Merkalan Training and Employment Fair
- taking place today and tomorrow at the Donostia-San Sebastián Kursaal Conference Centre [palacio de Congresos Kursaal].
- Analysis of the Baviera and Trento employment models
The Basque Country’s Ministry of Employment and Social Policies, Beatriz Artolazabal, believes that “ increased training and knowledge of languages are the best assets for ensuring the employability of our young people”, alongside mayor Eneko Goia and Deputy Minister Markel Olano, Artolazabal has taken part in the opening of 2nd International Employment Congress and the 1st Merkalan Training and Employment Fair that is taking place today and tomorrow at the Donostia-San Sebastián Kursaal Conference Centre [palacio de Congresos Kursaal].
“Our programme is in line with the guidelines set out by the European Union and by the United Nations itself and the basis of our work is that increased training gives rise to increased and higher quality employment. “A commitment to quality employment” is the motto that is bringing everyone together at this 2nd International Congress and the Merkalan Fair, our new initiative to bolster contracting, advice and a close relationship between Lanbide, companies and people who wish to improve their work,” said Artolazabal.
According to the Sailburu [department head] Artolazabal, “the Department of Employment and Social Policies, and the Lanbide Basque Employment Service are join forces to present this joint initiative, contrasting good practices developed in other parts of Europe. From over-qualification that some have pointed out to a lack of skilled labour as stated by others, our analysis indicates that increased training and knowledge of languages are the best assets for ensuring the employability for young people”.
Talent
“In terms of precariousness, quality jobs end up being beneficial to all parties and ensure that talent is retained of the generations of our youth with the highest degree of training in our history. These two days of the Congress are going to allow us to compare ourselves with other realities".
After welcoming all the experts taking part in the conference, Artolazabal emphasised “that the first Merkalan fair is a relationship bridge that offers more than 700 jobs, making it one of the symptoms of the evolution of Lanbide, the Basque Employment Service that is being upgraded as employability facilitator and that is no longer synonymous with the older unemployment offices”.
“Lanbide is becoming increasingly accessible and is reaching out to the public in terms of offering an individual and comprehensive service. After years of recession and its ensuing unemployment, the most important objective of this legislature for the Basque Government, and for Basque society as a whole, was lower unemployment rates by 10%, something that has been achieved. And faced with international uncertainty, we are alert”, stated Beatriz Artolazabal who reiterated her commitment “to quality employment for everyone, especially our young people”.
The “2nd International Employment Congress and the 1st 2019 “Merkalan” Training and Employment Fair” are being organised by the Basque Government’s Department of Employment and Social Policies. The “Merkalan” Fair is presenting jobseekers with more than 700 jobs in all sectors and for all types of qualifications offered by 70 participating companies.
The Basque Country’s deputy minister for Employment and Youth, Marcos Muro, the director general of Lanbide Borja Belandia, and his area directors Amaia Arteaga, Marta Etxebarria, Ion Uriarte and Nestor Arana will be attending the events.
Programme
Franck Morel, advisor to the French Prime Minister for Social Relations, Work, Employment and Professional Training has offered to make the opening speech entitled "France's commitment to quality employment". The "global opportunities and challenges for the creation of quality employment" have been addressed by Jamie Winders, director of the University of Syracuse’s Autonomous Systems Policy Institute; Christopher Markou, from the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of Law, and Albert Cañigueral, co-founder of Ouishare.
The “European Union quality employment strategy" has been presented by Loukas Stemitsiotis, director of Thematic Analysis from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Maurizio Bussi, the ILO Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia will be speaking today about “the global quality employment strategy”, while Alexander Hijzen, the OECD director of Employment Strategy, will be talking about “The OECD quality employment strategy”. Attendees will be making a visit this afternoon to the Basque Country’s "Tknika" Vocational Training Applied Innovation and Research Centre in the town of Errenteria.
Tuesday
Tomorrow, Tuesday 22, Markus Zorzi, General Director of Planning, Strategy, Legal Affairs and Communication from the Ministry of Family, Employment and Social Affairs of the Government of Bavaria, will be giving a talk entitled "the Quality Employment Strategy in Bavaria"; Laura Pedron, general director from the Employment Agency of the Trento Regional Province will be speaking about its quality strategy, while Gary Shaughnessy, president of Z Zurich Foundation, will be analysing "The creation of quality employment in the services sector".
The company’s inclusive-participatory model will be presented by Deb Oxley, CEO of the Employee Ownership Association; and Juan Manuel Sinde, President of the Arizmendiarrieta Foundation. Marcos Muro, the Basque Government’s Employment and Youth Vice Minister will close the Congress.
Lanbide is celebrating the first year of its Merkalan employment and training fair at Kursaal, with the aim of promoting and facilitating contact between companies with a need to hire and those actively looking for a job. It spans 1,000 square meters, taking into account the specific needs of those using Lanbide’s services in its design and content.
The layout of the different areas of the fair have been set up as a typical employment programme, with stands presenting the thematic areas and all the individualised resources provided by the Lanbide network of offices to the public to help make decisions to improve employability (job search registration, career guidance, training, professional certificates, services for companies, entrepreneurship, etc.).
