Employment allocates €34.6 million to new call for alternating training programmes

The Canary Islands Government’s Department of Tourism and Employment, led by Jéssica de León, has opened a new call for grants through the Canary Islands Employment Service (SCE) to fund Alternating Training and Employment Programmes (PFAE) for 2026.

The initiative has a total budget of €34,600,000, from funds transferred by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy. It will enable 92 projects to be launched, involving a total of 1,380 unemployed people across the archipelago.

PFAEs are designed to improve the employability of people who face greater barriers to finding work. They combine practical work in a real-life setting with the acquisition of certified professional skills.

Each project lasts 11 and a half months and has 15 places. Those selected will sign an alternating training contract, combining 65% paid work on projects or services serving the public interest with 35% theoretical and practical training, which will enable them to obtain the relevant professional certificates.

The projects are aimed at people who are out of work, preferably those without professional qualifications or with low qualifications, and who face greater barriers to employment. This includes people with a recognised disability of 33% or more, young people without formal qualifications, and unemployed people aged over 45. Applicants must be registered as jobseekers with the SCE. Women will be given 55% of the places, with priority for victims of gender-based violence.

To ensure a balanced distribution of public funds, the call allocates at least one project to each of the seven largest islands, with the remaining budget distributed according to the number of registered jobseekers. Tenerife and Gran Canaria will each have 38 projects and 570 participants. Lanzarote will host five projects, creating new opportunities for 75 participants. La Palma and Fuerteventura will each run four projects, benefiting 60 people per island. La Gomera will host two projects (30 participants), while El Hierro will have one project (15 participants).

Accredited organisations have 20 days to submit applications, starting on the day after the call’s extract is published in the Canary Islands Official Gazette (BOC). Applications must be submitted through the Canary Islands Government’s e-services portal.