Intellectually disabled people are among the groups
that face the greatest barriers when it comes to integrating into the labour
market. To this we must add that current legislation for this group does not
include any further education after the age of 18, sending them to occupational
centres, which have a more static approach and are not oriented towards
training for employment.

As a result of this situation, employers have difficulties matching people with
this disability to their job profiles, as they do not have the necessary
training and qualifications for the jobs on available.

The Carmen Pardo-Valcarce Foundation has launched CAMPVS,
an innovative education Project that implements new formulas in training for
disabled people, taking an approach imported from the US and the UK to get the
private sector involved in the world of higher education.

Globalvia, being aware of the importance of
integrating disabled people into the labour market, has been working with the
Foundation for two years now. The company has also decided to join this
educational initiative as a partner. The project was launched on 18 February at
the centre’s facilities in the Barrio del Pilar in Madrid.

The first CAMPVS intake is made up
of 36 students aged 19-25, who have completed their basic studies and have
enrolled for further education to increase their personal, social and
professional skills.

The CAMPVS students can specialise in the disciplines of catering
and tourism, administration and management, or sales and marketing. The
training scheme is scheduled over three years:

–
Year 1: personal,
social and professional skills. 

–
Year 2:
specialising in the desired job profile and sector.

–
Year 3: placement
with ordinary companies plus an autonomous-life project.

Globalvia is looking into the possibility of further increasing
its involvement in the project by developing a volunteering scheme under which Globalvia personnel could act as training
agents in the various topic areas taught at CAMPVS.