The current idea of work is usually linked to industry, tourism, construction, public services or new technologies. Culture, on the other hand, has acquired greater visibility through its contents (cinema, theatre, exhibitions, concerts, etc.) than the jobs it generates. However, viewing the credits of a film, series or television programme reveals dozens of professionals and trades that are essential for a project to come to fruition.
In 2016, there were a total of 544,700 cultural workers in Spain – 3% of the total job market – working in any of the 114,000 existing businesses, almost 2% more than in the previous year. The weight of this sector in the country’s economy is 3.5%.
The intrinsic creativity required by this type of activity attracts many young people despite the fact that job stability and opportunities are not its strong points. Therein lies the importance of the Emplea Cultura programme, an initiative designed by the Banco Santander Foundation that is already in its fifth edition.
Two calls
It is aimed at young people who would like to work in the field of contemporary culture and any organisation that needs to hire employees has until October 15 to submit its candidacy. During the selection process, certain aspects shall be taken into account, such as the sustainability of the position offered, its innovation or the degree of innovation. The programme shall target long-term positions.
The evaluation committee of Emplea Cultura, composed of professionals from various industry entities and the Foundation, will choose ten organisations that will be given the chance to cover ten job offers for unemployed young people. These jobs will be fully funded by the Banco Santander Foundation.
After choosing the companies, there will be a second call targeting unemployed young people. Any person who graduated between 2009 and 2018 and who has training related to the profiles required by the businesses may sign up from 28 November to 13 December.
The director of the institution, Borja Baselga, said during the presentation that they are committed to this project “because the Foundation believes it is necessary to respond to a real need, such as youth unemployment in the cultural sector”. In addition, he stressed that the results “are very positive”.
