The Governing Council has agreed to amend the criteria for selection of candidates to work on projects under the Emergency Plan for Employment in Andalucia, a change that will allow people who reside in the towns where the works are being carried out to have preference.
The regional government spokesman, Miguel Ángel Vázquez, reported at a press conference that the modification of the selection criteria aims to make the Plan more functional. The Emergency Plan for Employment has been developed since July 2012, and the Junta de Andalucia has now discovered some ‘mismatches’ whereby people being hired had to travel distances of over 80 kilometres.
For politicians – mismatch, for normal folk – mistake.
This change will give preference to long-term unemployed in the municipalities where the projects take place and also priority to the long-term unemployed who do not receive any benefit or allowance.
If there are no applicants in the destination municipality, recruitment will be extended to municipalities in the same district or, if applicable, the province.
Along with changing the basic criteria, the Governing Council also extended the term of the Plan, originally set at December 31st, in order to maintain a continuity of pending projects during 2014 and to ensure their co-financing through European Union funds.
The Emergency Plan for Employment in Andalucia allocates 200 million euros for public projects to alleviate the effects of the worsening of the labour market. This is in addition to the 200 million euros available under the Employment Opportunity Plan approved in 2011.
The plan is composed of three sets of measures: construction, expansion and improvement of schools (300 million euros), improved environmental and rural infrastructure (90 million) and housing rehabilitation (10 million).