The Bilbao City Council and Lanbide have presented the new Local Employment and Development Plan (PEDL) for Bilbao, which will extend until 2030. This plan aims to benefit around 7,000 people and 1,800 companies, promoting quality and stable employment, particularly in key economic sectors and strategic areas of opportunity. Moving beyond previous plans, it will focus not only on direct hiring but also on preparing individuals and generating economic activity.
In its first year, employment promotion initiatives will have a budget of 12.7 million euros. Of this amount, 6.7 million will be contributed by Lanbide, 1.4 million by the City Council as part of the plan, and the remainder will also come from municipal funds, albeit for approximately eighty other municipal actions unrelated to this specific document.
The plan outlines eight main strategic objectives: boosting quality employment, adapting training offerings to future needs, strengthening entrepreneurship in opportunity sectors, ensuring generational succession, promoting labor inclusion for those over 45, young people, long-term unemployed, and migrant populations, improving business competitiveness, increasing Bilbao's attractiveness, and fostering inter-institutional coordination.
Mayor Juan Mari Aburto explained that it is a "scalpel strategy" tailored to neighborhoods and small local businesses, which are crucial for local employment. One million euros will be allocated to areas facing greater difficulties, such as Rekalde, Bilbao La Vieja, and Otxarkoaga. Additionally, 2.7 million euros will be invested to enhance business sustainability through continuous training and digitalization incentives. Support is also planned for renting or purchasing commercial premises during transmission and 3.4 million euros to facilitate hiring, especially in sectors with labor shortages or generational succession issues.
Advanced industrial services, which account for 24% of Bilbao's economic activity, will be of particular importance. Their attraction and retention will be promoted through a "talent check." Concurrently, advanced specialization scholarships and incentives for internships will be launched, targeting strategic sectors like technology and creative industries, which generate more qualified, stable, and high-potential employment. The "care" sector, continuously evolving and in high demand due to population aging, has also been highlighted.
Mikel Torres, the Minister of Economy, Labor, and Employment, emphasized that "Bilbao has always known how to anticipate changes and turn challenges into opportunities." This plan, part of a Lanbide initiative with a budget of 19.5 million euros to implement similar plans in various Basque municipalities, will address the challenges of the coming years.
