Fundación Secretariado Gitano

30,000 Roma people have found a job in Spain thanks to the Acceder programme [editar]

• Acción Institucional
• Employment
• Communication
• National level

At the event held at the 1st December, at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, the Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) has celebrated 20 years of its Acceder training and employment programme, endorsed and financed with the support of the European Social Fund through the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy and the Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda.

During the event, the Evaluation of Results and Impact of the Acceder programme 2000-2020 was presented, a study carried out by the consultancy firm Red2Red, which gathers qualitative and quantitative data on the labour inclusion of the Roma population thanks to this initiative.

The event was attended by Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy; Ignacio Álvarez, Secretary of State for Social Rights; María Iglesia, Head of Unit for Spain of the DG Employment of the European Commission; and Milagros Paniagua, Secretary General for Social Inclusion and Social Welfare Objectives and Policies, and with the video participation of Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights.

"Achieving equality and inclusion of the Roma community is a fundamental right that still requires our immediate and joint action. The persistent inequality between Roma and non-Roma in the labour market needs to be urgently addressed," stated Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights.

"Acceder is a European-driven programme that Europe has taken as an example. The keys to its success are threefold: public determination, continuity, and the fact that it is community driven. This is an example of active employment policy," declared Yolanda Díaz, Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy.

"The challenge is huge and has to be holistic. There are many sources of discrimination and inequality in our country, but access to decent work is a main source of well-being and integration: that is the path to equality", remarked Sara Giménez, President of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano.

"Today we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of a programme that has become a reference for inclusion, good work, good practices and integration into the labour market for the entire population", affirmed Ignacio Álvarez, Secretary of State for Social Rights, Ministry of Social Rights and 2030 Agenda.

Over these 20 years, the Acceder programme has accompanied 109,875 people, of whom 82,091 have participated in training and employment programmes; 33,344 of them have finally obtained a job. During this time, 91,733 employment contracts have been signed and 15,967 companies have collaborated with Acceder. These numbers have converted the initiative into the backbone of the FSG's activity. This shows that its effects not only have an impact on those who participate in the training and employment pathways, but also on their families and environment, since gaining access to the labour market as an employee, contributes both to transform Roma people’s lives and to improve their employability and social promotion.

Assessment of two decades of Acceder

The effectiveness of Acceder's intervention model for labour market integration is rooted in the adaptation of the specific profiles of each participant and the needs of the labour market itself, working in alliance with companies.

The following are some of the achievements in figures of the Acceder programme during these 20 years:

• 109,875 people have participated in the programme. This represents 11% of the Spanish Roma population.
• 82,091 people have taken part in personalized pathways of labour insertion and have improved their employment situation.
• 33,344 people have found a job.
• 91,733 contracts were signed.
• 33,664 people have been trained.
• 15,967 companies have already participated, including Accenture, Alcampo, Ikea, "la Caixa" Foundation, Google, etc.
• 40% of those who have gone through the programme, have eventually found a job.

In terms of qualitative impact, it is worth highlighting that the Acceder Programme:

• Has contributed to improving the quality of life of Roma people by generating job opportunities, offering training and facilitating access to employment.
• Has contributed to revaluing the role of education, the educational return and training.
• Has been a catalyst for essential changes to promote the advancement of Roma women through their incorporation into the labour market.
• Has been a good antidote to discrimination and antigypsyism, helping to break down prejudices and negative stereotypes.

The Acceder programme, considered a European Best Practice, serves as a model in the design of public employment and social protection policies aimed at the most socially vulnerable groups.

Main conclusions

The main conclusion of this assessment is that the Acceder programme is achieving its objectives and, additionally, is contributing to generate social and institutional changes that foster a favourable environment in the fight against discrimination of the Roma population.

Acceder is an effective and efficient programme that has facilitated access to employment for 4 out of 10 people, demonstrating that, with adequate resources and adapted policies, it is possible to tackle inequality.

Awareness campaign 2021: "Tomorrow's challenge"

In addition to the Evaluation of the Acceder Programme, the FSG has presented the new awareness campaign "Tomorrow's challenge", whose short film, directed by Roma filmmaker Pablo Vega, stars four young participants of the Acceder Programme who narrate their life stories in first person, and explain how the programme has contributed to their employment improvement.

The documentary draws a simile between the challenge of overcoming a high-risk sport, in this case canyoning, and the challenge of finding a job. It is a continuation of the "Bread for tomorrow" campaign, presented in 2020, which calls for active employment policies for Roma youth.

The aim with the event, the external evaluation and the campaign, is both to show the general population the impact and results of the work carried out by the FSG and its Acceder programme, and also to contribute to overcoming the taboos and myths surrounding the Roma population and to break the generational circle of exclusion. Still today, 86% of Roma families are below the poverty line.

← BACK TO MAIN ‘NEWS’ PAGE