The Natural Space Recovery Employment Workshop program in Sabadell's Rodal is providing a new opportunity for long-term unemployed individuals, combining training with practical work to facilitate their labor reintegration. The main objective, explains Aleix Schkot, a forestry technician and project trainer, is for participants to "acquire new skills and learn a trade".
The eight participants, all over 45 years old, alternate three days of work in the forest with two days of theoretical training. Tasks focus on the maintenance of the Rodal and environmental improvements, including the use of chainsaws and brush cutters, as well as knowledge of botany and zoology. They also receive training in transversal skills for job searching, resume writing, and labor skills.
“"The main objective is the integration of the people who work here so they acquire new skills and learn a trade."
Participants like Eusebio Jurado and Miquel Molina, who had been unemployed for some time, highlight the course's importance in regaining confidence and acquiring new skills. "We now earn the interprofessional minimum wage, but it's a shame the course only lasts a year," comments Jurado, although he adds that he is left with "the personal satisfaction of doing something for the city," according to Molina.
“"There are people who have reinvented themselves at an advanced age. They come from many different sectors."
The course concludes on October 31st, and participants hope to find work in the forestry sector or for the City Council to create new positions. The results from the previous course were positive, with three participants finding employment. According to municipal sources, the employment insertion rate for the courses offered exceeded 44% in 2025. Beyond the figures, the program's emotional impact is valued, helping participants feel "useful" and "happy".
