Eurocaja Rural Foundation Selects 10 Beneficiary Entities for 'WORKIN' Grants

Eurocaja Rural Foundation launched a new edition of the 'WORKIN' programme last September, aimed at supporting employment projects of various social entities and promoting the full integration of people with disabilities through employment.

A total of 52 projects were received from all provinces where Eurocaja Rural is present, including six autonomous communities (Castilla-La Mancha, Madrid, Castilla y León, Valencia, Murcia, and La Rioja). After evaluation, 10 projects were selected, each receiving a grant of €10,000.

The selected projects stand out for their commitment to the real social inclusion of people with disabilities, providing beneficiaries with opportunities for continuous training, access to career guidance programmes, professionalisation in occupational centres, and the possibility of obtaining regular employment through supported employment.

The following is a list of beneficiary associations and selected projects:

1. FUNDACION ASPANIAS BURGOS, for its project "Mis manos, tus alas: Personal Assistance Auxiliary". This training aims to develop the necessary professional skills for the role of Personal Assistance Auxiliary supporting elderly or disabled individuals who need assistance in their daily lives.

2. ASOCIACIÓN SALUD MENTAL PALENCIA, FEAFES PALENCIA, for its project 'Kit rural, improve your professional skills 2.0'. The training includes job insertion workshops and personalised coaching. The programme will be developed in Guardo, Aguilar de Campoo, Herrera de Pisuerga, Cervera de Pisuerga, and Saldaña, promoting equal opportunities in rural areas of Palencia.

3. ASMINAL, from Almadén (Ciudad Real), for its initiative 'Training for the labour integration of people with disabilities in the Screen Printing Workshop'. This project aims to train 8 students in drawing, design, printing, and stamping techniques alongside three local companies and with the support of the Almadén Town Hall.

4. ASOCIACIÓN DE SÍNDROME DE DOWN DE CUENCA Y PROVINCIA, ADOCU, for the 'Workdown' programme for job training, improved autonomy, and the development of social skills, with personalised and individualised programmes according to user needs.

5. DOWN TALAVERA, for its project 'Inclusion in Action'. This is a training project aimed at young people aged 16 and over and is divided into three phases: Orientation and Planning; Skills Training and Business Prospecting.

6. ARPA AUTISMO RIOJA, for its project 'Purpurina', which consists of a business initiative led by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and supported by their families. This creative project would offer personalised products and services through an online store, and in a subsequent phase, a physical store would be opened, staffed by people with ASD.

7. DOWN ÁVILA, for its initiative 'Digital Empowerment: Transforming the lives of women with intellectual disabilities'. The project offers training in digital skills through an adapted methodology in small groups to promote equity and reduce the gender and disability gap in access to technology and social inclusion.

8. ASOCIACION APSA (Alicante), for its programme 'Workshop Operations in Production Chain for Online Sales for People with Intellectual Disabilities', to improve the employability level of 13 young people, facilitating their development of socio-labour skills and attitudes in assembly operations and online sales.

9. AUNA INCLUSIO (Gandía, Valencia), for its project 'Replenishment Assistant', designed to train over 100 users with intellectual disabilities and/or mental illness in customer service techniques and related areas, offering internships in companies.

10. FUNDACIÓN AMÁS SOCIAL (Móstoles, Madrid), for its project 'Vocational Training School for People with Intellectual Disabilities MásyMenos. Insertion in Ordinary Company'. The Másymenos Training School focuses on training young people with intellectual functional diversity through a combination of theoretical and practical training in simulated work environments.

Since the 'WORKIN' grants were first announced in 2014, a total of 100 training and labour insertion entities for people with disabilities have benefited, with more than 7,300 direct beneficiaries.