Thanks to the programme promoted by Iberdrola España, ten young people from the Roma community are entering the labour market in Córdoba in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector

Iberdrola España, UNICEF Spain, and the Fundación Secretariado Gitano have concluded this Wednesday (12/10) the 'Learning by Working' initiative, developed in Lucena (Córdoba), aimed at improving the social and labor inclusion of young people in vulnerable situations. This initiative has enabled ten young people from the Roma community to enter the labor market in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.

The programme, which has enabled young people to obtain a certificate of professional competence, has included classroom training (35% of the working day) and productive work experience in companies (65%) through a six-month work-study contract in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector.

For Jose Santiago (26), one of the participants, this experience has been a great opportunity: "I am very grateful to the FSG and Keyter. We are very lucky, but we also have a great responsibility to show the Roma community in a good light. I would like to continue working in this sector."

This programme, developed between March and December 2025 and aimed at young people who need access to qualifications and work experience, has been implemented by the Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG) within the framework of Generation Unlimited Spain, a multi-stakeholder alliance promoted by UNICEF Spain that seeks the social and labour inclusion of young people in vulnerable situations. 

The initiative is co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus and Iberdrola España, and Generation Unlimited Spain has the collaboration of Lucena City Council and the Association of Andalusian Refrigeration Manufacturers (AFAR) and five of its member companies – Coreco, Efficold, Infrico, Intarcon and Keyter. Together, through this initiative developed in Lucena, they promote opportunities for young people in the green economy, such as the heat pump sector.

The event was attended by around 60 people, including students, family members, company representatives and local authorities. The institutional welcome to the event was given by Juan Reyes, regional director of FSG in Andalusia; María Dolores Gálvez Páez, regional delegate for Employment, Business and Self-Employment in Córdoba; Antonio Fernández, delegate of Iberdrola España in Andalusia; Claudia Zafra, president of the UNICEF Committee in Andalusia; Joaquín Alberto Peñalver, president of AFAR; and Aurelio Fernández, mayor of Lucena.

For Juan Reyes, regional director of the Fundación Secretariado Gitano in Andalusia, this experience is a major step towards the social and labour inclusion of the Roma population: "Who would have thought 25 years ago that the Fundación Secretariado Gitano would have come so far in terms of employability for Roma people? We have secured job opportunities in a stable sector with a bright future, supported by large companies, organisations and institutions."

For his part, Iberdrola España's representative in Andalusia, Antonio Fernández, noted that "the decarbonisation of the economy through electrification and renewable energies is a lever for generating industrial and employment opportunities for all. This project is a clear example of this, bringing young people in vulnerable situations into rapidly expanding technological and industrial sectors, especially those linked to new efficient air conditioning technologies and systems based onheat pumps , which today represent a source of employment and a key part of the energy transition. It is also a clear commitment to Lucena as an industrial engine and generator of opportunities in the region."

"Working in multi-stakeholder partnerships is key to addressing the major challenge of social and labour market inclusion for vulnerable young people," explained Claudia Zafra, president of UNICEF Committee Andalusia. "By involving young people, businesses, the public sector, academia and social organisations that provide comprehensive support throughout the process, and by placing young people and their talent at the centre, we are achieving real inclusion. This translates into concrete opportunities for thousands of young people who did not have them before, and at the same time, it allows companies to incorporate trained talent with high motivation and commitment," she added.

Next, Joaquín Alberto Peñálver, president of AFAR, emphasised that "this project shows that when administrations, entities and companies work together, AFAR fulfils its mission: to strengthen the sector, in this case by providing opportunities that transform lives and increase the competitiveness of our companies".

Finally, Aurelio Fernández, mayor of Lucena, thanked the key players for their work in generating quality employment in Lucena and announced that "now that this edition of has come to an end, we must set ourselves the challenge of starting to work on a second edition with the same objective: to ensure that young Roma people continue to receive training and gain access to a sector that may be more difficult to enter, but which has a future."

The collaboration of Lucena City Council has been key in coordinating the training initiative, promoting the professional certificate and providing training facilities, while AFAR has boosted the project's relationship with the business sector.

This project reflects the potential of the green economy to generate job opportunities for vulnerable young people in sectors of the present and future, such as air conditioning and refrigeration, becoming a lever for employment and inclusion for the young people who need it most.