The spread of the coronavirus in Spain has led to the largest rise in unemployment in history and the largest drop in social security enrolment. In the midst of the economic and employment shock, and with the confinement measures still in place, different campaigns are getting underway in order to help improve employability, both for the most vulnerable groups affected most by the COVID-19 outbeak, and for workers in general.
From the famous #QuédateEnCasa (stay at home) hashtag, we have moved on to #PrepárateParaElEmpleo (prepare yourself for employment) and #Impulsa (impulse), the campaigns launched by the human resources consulting firms Adecco and Randstad, respectively. For construction professionals, the alternative is the one offered by the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción.
These initiatives offer advice to those looking for work, such as how to improve your CV or how to select jobs, as well as free online training courses to take advantage of the forced quarantine period. Let's have a look at what each initiative consists of:
#PrepárateParaElEmpleo by Fundación Adecco
"It is essential that job seekers have a routine that allows them to remain connected to the tasks of the search, so that when the market reactivates, they do not have to start again, with the consequent loss of pace and results," says Francisco Mesonero, CEO of Fundación Adecco.
This campaign is aimed at people at risk of socio-labour exclusion, mainly the disabled, over 55s, women with unshared family responsibilities and/or victims of domestic violence. "The psychological or health conditions and the previous situation of exclusion in which they were already found, could cause their isolation to be greater, leading to situations of structural psychosocial risk," details Mesonero.
Within #PrepárateParaElEmpleo, the foundation includes eight employment guidelines that can be consulted on the Internet and downloaded free of charge, as well as a series of practical tips for defining purposes, goals and objectives to help professionals with more difficulties improve their employability. Maintaining routines, planning the day and leaving time for leisure and rest are among them.
On the other hand, the foundation also recommends (to those who are looking for a job) analysing your possible professional strengths (learning capacity, creativity, collaborative spirit, adaptability etc.) in order to reinforce self-esteem and improve your possibilities for future job interviews. The company also advises job hunters to look for what it calls 'target companies', that is, those in which you would like to work, to look for information about them and check if they are looking for similar profiles. Another important point is to update your CV and include your latest training and work experience, update your photo and create different versions for each offer you plan to apply for.
Another piece of advice is to sign up for online training courses and use professional social networks to create an agenda of contacts and have more visibility for companies and recruiters.
"The idea is that this situation of confinement affects the unemployed and job hunters as little as possible and they do not feel helpless, but we can accompany them at all times through the resources that the digital age provides us with," stresses Mesonero.
Impulsa by Randstad
Randstad, a consulting firm specialising in human resources, has decided to move forward with a project it plans to launch in the middle of this quarter, which it has named Impulsa (impulse). This initiative is an alternative to help improve the attractiveness of work for those currently working from home.
As the company explains, "in a simple, fun and free way, anyone can create the best version of their CV using designs created by Randstad's expert recruitment consultants or access a set of training videos on different topics such as digitalisation, personal development and job searches, amongst others".
For example, this initiative also includes a personalised report of strengths and areas for professional improvement that users can download and use in their professional life (whether or not they are part of the platform), as well as a test for evaluating professional skills.
Online courses with a diploma by Fundación Laboral de la Construcción
In view of the closure of all its training centres and the cancellation of all its attendance courses due to the state of alarm, the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, made up of employers and trade unions of the sector, has now decided to open its online course platform to offer free training to all employees and construction companies.
Specifically, there are 40 short courses available (an average of 4-5 hours), specialising in different topics related to construction. This training is what the foundation has been offering for several years now only to holders of the Professional Construction Card (TPC/Tarjeta Profesional de la Construcción), although it is now available to the whole sector.
The subjects include, for example, energy efficiency, new building solutions, sustainable renovation and construction, prevention of occupational hazards, job-seeking techniques and management skills. The foundation will also award a diploma after completing and passing the courses.