Name of Implementing Organization:
ACCEM
Type of Implementing Organization:
A non-profit organisation
Country:
Spain
Region:
Castilla-La Mancha
Municipality:
Sigüenza
Year of implementation:
1992 - ongoing
Target Group:

Refugees, workers, immigrants

Funding:

Mainly public, although it also relies on private sponsorship

ACCEM - Sigüenza
Summary:

Accem is a non-profit organisation that works to improve the living conditions of people in vulnerable situations. Accem has always been recognised as an expert in intervention with people seeking international protection, refugees and migrants. Currently, in addition to working with these profiles, it also carries out programmes aimed at vulnerable people, unaccompanied minors, young people, the elderly and inhabitants of rural areas.

The organisation created a Migration Centre in one of the areas that has suffered and is suffering the most from the consequences of depopulation. Since 1992, the Centre has managed 90 reception places, 60 for applicants for international protection and 30 for humanitarian reception.

It is committed to training + employment, creating a dynamic of training actions in economic activities with a strong demand for employment in the area (construction, commerce, hotel and catering, personal care). In the last 10 years, approximately 200 people have benefited from these training actions, with a level of employment insertion close to 75%. In the last year Accem has contacted more than 60 companies (self-employed and SMEs), obtaining 48 jobs for 17 women and 31 men.

The Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha is one of the funders of this programme. ACCEM teaches Spanish to immigrants and refugees, through its courses it trains them for certain jobs and puts them in contact with the business fabric of the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara. In addition, it advises and supports them in regularising their residence permits in Spain.

Furthermore, Accem created an insertion company called "SAVIA NUEVA SERV GENERALES SL" through which they try to help people with greater difficulties to find work in the normalised labour market.

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Additional Comments:

Around 13,500 people live in the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara area, distributed in a total of 81 municipalities, with Sigüenza being the municipality with the largest population. In recent years, Accem's training and employment division has strengthened its response to the existing needs in the area, especially those related to vocational training and socio-labour insertion processes.

The boom in tourism, housing rehabilitation, forestry, local services and personal services has led to the creation of new jobs, a high percentage of which have been filled by immigrants.

Strengths

- Immigrants and refugees improve their training and employability and do so in an area with pressing depopulation problems. The on-the-ground knowledge of labour needs makes the training offered (VET) practical and oriented to the working environment of the Sierra Norte.

- The combination of training and collaboration with local companies enables the settlement of migrants and refugees.

- Effort to integrate migrants and refugees. The figures reinforce this argument: the Sierra Norte de Guadalajara has a foreign population rate of 16% as a whole, above the provincial total, which stands at 15%, and 10% in Castile-La Mancha as a whole. In this region, municipalities such as Sigüenza, Jadraque and Atienza stand out with rates above 20% of the population. 

- The provision of language courses for immigrants and refugees.

- The task of supporting the regularisation of permits and documents of immigrants and refugees including diplomas or training in their country of origin is an added value.

- The commitment and the link with the rural area and its socio-economic reality is one of its strong points.