Fundación Iberdrola España takes part in ‘Cultivando Empleo Extremadura’, Action Against Hunger’s forum connecting people, talent,, and companies
- Action Against Hunger is holding a new edition of Cultivando Empleo Extremadura at the Cáceres Conference Centre, marking the organization’s 10 years in the region. The event brought together employment programme participants, companies, social organizations, and institutional representatives to create new job opportunities.
- The employment fair reached full capacity, with more than 180 jobseekers and over forty companies from Extremadura presenting vacancies, in-demand professional profiles, and recruitment processes.
- Over the past decade, more than 5,000 people have taken part in the organisation’s programmes in Extremadura, 60% of them women, and more than 230 businesses have opened. More than 43% of participants in its employment programmes have found work after completing the programme.
Action Against Hunger is holding a new edition of Cultivando Empleo Extremadura at the Cáceres Conference Centre, marking ten years of work in the region to promote employment and socio-occupational inclusion. The event brought together more than two hundred people, including employment programme participants, companies, social organizations, and representatives of public authorities, creating a space to build partnerships and new job opportunities. Cultivando Empleo Extremadura
The opening session featured contributions from Emilio Borrega, councilor at Cáceres City Council; María González, a participant in Vives Emplea Saludable in Mérida who is now an entrepreneur; Ramón Castresana, director of Fundación Iberdrola España; and Isabel Soto, Action Against Hunger’s delegate for Andalusia and Extremadura. Their testimonies highlighted the importance of collaboration between institutions, companies, and social organizations, as well as the value of support in turning difficulties into new professional opportunities.
During the opening, Emilio Borrega, Cáceres City Council’s councilor for Employment, Human Resources, Innovation, E-Administration, Business and Institutional Relations, thanked Action Against Hunger for choosing the city to host this edition. He highlighted the impact of a decade of work in the region, noting that ‘behind that figure are more than 5,000 people who have received support, thousands of hours of guidance and over 1,200 people who have entered employment. These are not merely statistics; they are life projects taking shape, restoring independence and families looking to the future with greater certainty and hope.’
From rebuilding confidence to starting a business
One of the event’s highlights was the testimony of María González, a participant in Vives Empleo Saludable in Mérida, who explained how the programme helped her ‘rebuild my confidence and take the step into entrepreneurship, learning to find the strength, self-esteem and confidence to believe in what I have come to do in life, which is to become an entrepreneur.’ María is now self-employed and runs her own premises.
For his part, Ramón Castresana, director of Fundación Iberdrola España, said: ‘It is a pleasure to take part in Cultivando Empleo 2026 and to celebrate Action Against Hunger’s ten years in Extremadura.’ Fundación Iberdrola España particularly values its partnership with the organization and, above all, ‘its commitment to vulnerable people who need an opportunity to build a new life project. Its professionalism and dedication provide a solid foundation for initiatives that create genuine employment opportunities.’ The Iberdrola Spain Foundation currently works with the organization on three employment schools, one for women and two for young people, ‘supporting training in the electricity sector, an area with excellent prospects. We hope that, ten years from now, we will still be working together along the same lines and celebrating the success of these programmes and, most importantly, of the people who have found in them an opportunity to improve their lives.’
‘The shared aim of the organization and its partners is to facilitate access to decent employment that helps improve people’s living conditions. Over these ten years, more than 5,000 people have taken part in the organization’s programmes in Extremadura, which have achieved an employment rate of over 43% and helped create 230 businesses,’ recalled Isabel Soto, Action Against Hunger’s delegate for Andalusia and Extremadura.
Soto stressed the need to ‘maintain collaboration between companies, public authorities, and social organizations to continue creating opportunities, particularly in sectors linked to green jobs, sustainable energy, nature, and agriculture. Unemployment can affect anyone, but people’s motivation, attitude, and desire to work are not temporary.’
Making the most of opportunities: dialogue and employment fair
One of the event’s key features was the employment fair, attended by more than 180 jobseekers participating in Action Against Hunger programmes. The fair filled the Cáceres Conference Centre to capacity and brought together forty companies from Extremadura to present new employment opportunities, in-demand professional profiles, and recruitment processes. Attendees were able to submit applications, hand in their CVs, expand their professional networks and access practical resources to strengthen their profiles.
The programme also included the round-table discussion 10 years in Extremadura for inclusion and employment, which focused on the organization’s impact over the past decade and on future challenges and opportunities. One of the most moving moments was Ayub’s account of his experience at the Youth Electricity Employment School. His journey reflects the impact of personalized support, employment brokerage and closer links with companies and job opportunities.
This partnership forum brought together several key stakeholders who support the organization’s employment and entrepreneurship programmed, including Ramón Castresana, director of Fundación Iberdrola España; Lourdes Vázquez, from the INTEGRA Special Employment Centre; Ángel F. Barroso, AEMET delegate; Luís Chamorro, a former participant and current INTEGRA employee; José Antonio González, a Vives Emprende participant and entrepreneur since 2019; and Ana Canales, from the Dulce Chacón Social Integration Centre in Cáceres.
Participants were also able to attend workshops on developing their personal brand, including ‘Activating your personal brand in 3, 2, 1’ and ‘Lift-off complete: Brand registered’, as well as access career guidance, digital support, skills accreditation, and entrepreneurship resources. Organizations were also provided with spaces devoted to self-care processes.
This edition of Cultivando Empleo Extremadura therefore once again focuses on connecting people seeking employment opportunities with companies that need talent, creating meeting spaces and access to resources that help promote employment in the region.
Over the past decade, Action Against Hunger has worked in Extremadura through guidance, training, and connections with the business community to support people entering the labour market.
Action Against Hunger in Extremadura
This event forms part of Action Against Hunger’s employment and entrepreneurship strategy in Extremadura. For the past 10 years, the organization has worked across the region to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people. Since then, more than 230 new businesses have opened and over 5,100 people, 60% of them women, have taken part in its various programmes, with more than 43% of participants finding employment.
The Vives Emplea, Vives Emplea Saludable and Vives Aprende programmes have launched training pathways in sectors with high recruitment demand, including butchery, fruit retail, planning, photovoltaic installations and electromechanics. Vives EmpleaVives Emplea SaludableVives Aprende
Action Against Hunger is an international humanitarian organization that tackles the causes and effects of hunger. We ensure that families have access to safe water, food, training, and basic healthcare. In Spain, we help vulnerable people access employment as a means of escaping exclusion, poverty, and food insecurity.