The Provincial Council of Bizkaia has successfully achieved the labor insertion of over 2,300 individuals through the 3R Empresa program, an initiative launched in 2020 to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. This program, with a budget of 644,000 euros, promotes processes of reorientation, requalification, and job placement in sectors considered fundamental for Bizkaia.

Teresa Laespeda, the provincial deputy for Employment, Social Cohesion, and Equality, and Mikel Torres, the regional minister of Economy, Labor, and Employment, presented this year's edition. Laespeda emphasized that the program aims to be "a bridge between sectors" to facilitate the transition of workers from industries in crisis to those still in need of labor and talent.

The initiative is developed in collaboration with Lanbide (the Basque public employment service) and with Basque federations, associations, and clusters from the metal, environment, construction, and food sectors, as well as the maritime forum. The Provincial Council seeks to prevent long-term unemployment, as Laespada warned: "If a person exceeds nine months without work activity, the risk of their situation becoming chronic and leading to social exclusion multiplies exponentially."

Torres, for his part, highlighted that "creating employment is important, but generating quality jobs, facilitating insertion, and helping our companies find the talent they need is what truly defines our objective and our effort." Interested individuals can obtain information and pre-register on the Bizkaia Employment Portal (portaldeempleodebizkaia.eus) or through collaborating entities. Between 2020 and 2024, 5,856 people have participated in the program, resulting in over 2,293 job placements lasting more than six months.