Castilla y León continues with its commitment to attracting talent from abroad, especially young people, but also to retain the loyalty of those it has to prevent them from leaving.
To achieve this, the Board has different initiatives underway, and one of them is the Talent Strategy which, with a horizon of six years until 2030, has set itself the challenge of attracting the greatest possible number of talented young people to ensure that Castilla y León continues to grow and be competitive.
The president of the Board, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, He highlights that the regional government will not “scrimp on efforts or resources” to find talent for Castilla y León.
“We firmly believe in our young people and in its great potential,” he says in a message on his personal profile of “X”, former Twitter, where he remembers that he already announced that “this would be the legislature of talent” with a new Talent Strategy 2030 prepared by the Ministry of Economy and the Treasury, which Ical advanced this Saturday, and which will mobilize more than 300 million euros in public and private resources until 2027.
The “mission”, as stated in the document, is clear, the “generation, attraction and loyalty of talent as a factor of competitiveness and business transformation and economic growth.”
The strategy relies on a “Alliance for Talent” and includes the launch of two “specialized incubators”” in León and Palencia (Incubatech) to attract entrepreneurial projects in the aerospace, cybersecurity, tourism and agri-food sectors to the creation of a Bank of innovative projects in rural areas, up to 57 specific measures.
The strategy is justified in that Castilla y León “presents losses of highly qualified human capital” which is absorbed by other regions that benefit from trained talent, evidencing a problem in terms of attracting and retaining talent.
Specifically, it specifies that the lack of professionals in the Castilian and Leonese labor market that companies face is aligned with the high mobility of graduated workers in the Community, of which 42 percent change their residence to another province within Spain, well above the national average of 27.5 percent.
A percentage that in the science branches rises to 57.9 percent. In contrast, he indicates, only 16 percent want to work outside the Community and 7.3 percent want to do so abroad.
The new programming is structured into four axes of action under the headings 'Talent enabling environment'; 'Talent for growth', 'Excellence and visibility' and 'Active civil society'which until 2027 will be developed with 57 measurements through councils and 14 management centers of the Board.
Until 2027, 74.4 million will be allocated to 21 measures to generate a favorable environment; 176.9 million for 19 actions of the axis for growth; and 49 million, for 17 projects of excellence.
The fourth axis does not have a specific budget allocation, and focuses on achieving an “Alliance for Talent“, which will try to add to the objectives of the strategy local entities, economic and social agents, universities, educational and vocational training centers, clusters and innovative business groups, technology centers and business associations or any public or private institution that is committed to fight for talent in the Community.
The strategy sets a series of numerical evaluation objectives related to innovation, and aims to raise the R&D spending on GDP from 1.37 percent (2021), to 2.12 percent in 2027.
Likewise, it indicates the challenge of raising the percentage of researchers in the private sector from 33.2 percent (2022) to 38 percent at the end of the first action plan.
Add that they intend that the percentage of R&D personnel over the employed population grows from 11.6 percent (2022) to 13.5 percent in the period. In addition, it is betting that employment in high-tech sectors will go from 2.3 percent (2022) to three percent.
Another objective is to go from companies' innovation spending on turnover of 1.3 percent (2022) to 1.35 percent in 2027.
Measures for 2024
The disbursement of the first action plan of the strategy will be more than 75 million in 2024. The document also includes the tax benefits and specific housing measures that exist in Castilla y León to support entrepreneurship and a life project for young people, which it quantifies for next year in terms of taxes in 35 million euros and in facilitating access to a home for 84.6 million.
Regarding the specific distribution of funds by measures in 2024, it is worth highlighting within axis 1, which has 18.59 million euros in total, four million euros for +D+i projects; the 2.9 million in subsidies to promote self-employment of young people enrolled in the National Youth Guarantee System, or the 2.7 million for the support program for research projects co-financed by the Feder.
This axis also directs 2.1 million euros this year to improve the capabilities of technological and innovative entrepreneurship centers; and 1.8 million for investment aid to improve scientific and technological capabilities in Technology Centers co-financed by the Feder. It also includes 1.4 million from the Just Transition Fund for the Incubatech project in León and Palencia, and 1.1 for vertical accelerators.
This axis also includes 198,000 euros for the launch of a Bank of innovative projects in rural areas and, without a specific budget allocation, the promotion of a “Castilla y León Community of Entrepreneurs” seal, as well as the development of the Entrepreneur Awards XXI; and the SENDA Platform, a Cloud Expert System for Diagnosis and Support of entrepreneurship and innovation.
Training
Axis two, the one with the largest global endowment for 2024, with 44.23 million euros, is focused on training. The largest games are concentrated in the Mixed Dual Vocational Training Program in companies in the Communitywith 15 million euros, and in a loyalty and talent acquisition program for residents who complete health training in the National Health System, with 14 million.
It is also worth highlighting the 3.7 million for hiring research support technicians for universities; 3.6 million for digital skills for employed workers; 2.7 for occupational and continuing training in companies and development of R&D projects; and 1.5 for postgraduate student internships. Without funding, a Virtual Talent Fair appears, and subsidies for cultural heritage managers.
Excellence
As regards axis 3, this year it will have a total allocation of 12.24 million euros. The bulk of the funds will go to predoctoral hiring of research staff, with 8.3 million euros; along with 1.5 million for distinguished research personnel (Adrés Laguna Program); and half a million for stays of research personnel in training and the same amount to support the internationalization of the university system (COFUND program).
The action plan also includes 520,000 euros for the 'Return Passport' aid program, aimed at citizens from or from the Community abroad, to support and facilitate their return.
Without financial allocation, the promotion of a Talent Website and Talent Network appears; a STEM Pilot Project; the development of digital meetings on talent; and an agreement with public universities to promote access to public employment and thus attract new university graduates. In addition, it includes the 'Network of Contacts Abroad' Platform; and actions to promote entrepreneurship and hiring of Castilian and Leonese residing in other countries.