Fundación Secretariado Gitano and IKEA sign Spain's first nationwide agreement to improve the employability of Roma people [editar]

Fundación Secretariado Gitano and IKEA have signed this morning in Madrid the first national collaboration agreement to continue the commitment of both entities with the labour inclusion and the improvement of opportunities for the most vulnerable social groups.

The signing took place at the headquarters of Fundación Secretariado Gitano in Madrid and was carried out by FSG’s director general, Sara Giménez, and Elena López de Andrés, director of diversity at IKEA, with the aim of expanding the channels of collaboration at the national level to promote coordination and efficiency in access to decent work.

This agreement ratifies the commitment of both entities to promote the inclusion in the labour market of people from disadvantaged groups, with priority given to young people, to promote inclusive work environments and to raise awareness in society as a whole. This agreement aims to extend the cooperation that both organisations have been developing since 2007, but with greater intensity since 2014 with the collaboration of IKEA in the FSG's Learning by Doing training initiative. A dual training model aimed at young people (under 30 years old) with a great impact not only on improving the employability and inclusion of young people but also in their immediate family environment and within the company.

‘Before doing this training I was unemployed, without studies and in my previous jobs I had a bad experience. That's why I was afraid that they wouldn't accept me’, says Silvia Montoya, participant of Learning by Doing in the 2022 edition. She herself remembers how she felt when she arrived: ‘They welcomed me from minute one and, in the end, they also helped me to trust in myself’. She started one month of classroom training and for the next five months she did her work experience, first in the textile and bathroom section, and then in the canteen and offices. ‘They gave me the opportunity to apply for some vacancies and now I have a permanent contract and it's something I didn't think I would get so quickly’.

Fundación Secretariado Gitano and Acceder 

Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) is an intercultural social entity that has been working for more than 40 years for the promotion and equal opportunities of the Roma population in Spain and the European context. It develops programmes and services to defend the rights of Roma people, mainly in the fields of employment, education, health and housing. Its work is also aimed at promoting more active policies for the social inclusion of the Roma population, combatting discrimination and guaranteeing equality for all people.

In 2000, it launched the Acceder programme, with the support of the European Social Fund and other public and private entities. It is currently present in 62 localities throughout Spain and throughout its history more than 130 000 people have gone through the programme, more than 40 000 have gained access to employment and more than 115 000 contracts have been signed. All of this in collaboration with around 35 000 companies throughout Spain.

IKEA  

We celebrate 80 years of history. In 1943, IKEA was born in Sweden. And 27 years ago we landed on the Iberian Peninsula. We have come a long way since our beginnings with innovations, solutions, iconic products and business actions that in every decade have shaped the future of the home and our commitment to people, responding to our mission to create a better everyday life for the majority of people. We have changed homes forever with one concept: ‘democratic design’. That is, that all people have access to functional, design-led, sustainable, quality products at an affordable price. This is our commitment.

To achieve this, we are guided by our values, with great passion for what we do. Our strength is the team spirit and enthusiasm of everyone at IKEA Spain. We work hard, but we have fun doing it. We are an inclusive company, committed to equality and caring for the planet. To keep going, we need you.