The Special Employment Centers (CET) in Ponent are facing financial uncertainty. On one hand, the Generalitat has accumulated delays in public funding payments corresponding to 2025, forcing entities like the Associació Alba de Tàrrega to advance money and incur debt to maintain operations.
On the other hand, the centers fear a possible cut in aid allocated to the Multidisciplinary Support Team (EMS), composed of psychologists and social workers. These teams are crucial, as they support workers not only professionally but also in their social integration and daily aspects such as processing documentation, leisure activities, or the transition to retirement.
“"It is not just a workplace, but a comprehensive view of this person's life to try to ensure they fulfill all those wishes or reach all those goals they set for themselves."
The comprehensive support offered by the EMS is vital for the workers. Josep Maria Coma, who has worked at the El Gat restaurant of the Associació Alba since 2007, receives monitoring to ensure an active retirement. Likewise, José Antonio Planillo, a worker at the Acudam CET, emphasizes that he can consult the support team about any problem, both inside and outside of work.
“"A person with a disability can have a normal job like everyone else; there is no need to discriminate because we are different, because we are capable of doing everything and we should not be pigeonholed into one job."
Currently, the Acudam CET employs 68 people with disabilities, while the Associació Alba employs 73. Across the Lleida demarcation, there are a thousand people with disabilities working in CETs who receive EMS support. In Catalonia, this figure amounts to 10,000 jobs, according to data from the Dincat entity.
