SILVERJOBS is a cross-border cooperation project between Castile and León and Northern Portugal, approved in the fourth call of the Interreg Spain-Portugal Cooperation Programme (POCTEP) 2021-2027. This project promotes social cohesion and territorial integration, aiming to generate quality employment based on the social and healthcare needs of the Silver population (individuals over 55 years old) in rural areas.

The project’s intervention areas focus on the cross-border rural zones of the province of Zamora and the region of Trás-os-Montes, which face a common challenge: the lack of quality employment and depopulation. SILVERJOBS proposes innovative solutions to address these issues through the creation of social infrastructure in the socio-healthcare sector.

To achieve this, the project establishes the creation of social infrastructure and the generation of employment within the socio-healthcare sector, relying on training and technology. The primary goal is to train individuals for two new professional profiles:

  • Silver Carer: specialised in providing social and healthcare services.
  • Silver Technician: responsible for providing technological support to carers.

SILVERJOBS is structured around four main activities:

  1. Creation of the SilverJobs Social Infrastructure: a digital ecosystem to connect job supply and demand in this sector, primarily focused on the Silver Generation in the field of socio-healthcare services. This digital platform will facilitate the identification of labour needs and serve as a social cohesion ecosystem.
  2. Training of the population: providing education in socio-healthcare services and applied technologies, targeting both sector professionals and the Silver population.
  3. Development of supportive technological solutions: implementing advanced technological tools such as monitoring systems and other supportive solutions to enhance the delivery of socio-healthcare services to the Silver population, addressing the specific needs of rural areas.
  4. Validation of solutions: pilot tests will be conducted in selected locations to ensure the effectiveness of the new infrastructures, trained personnel, and developed technological tools. This process will allow for the evaluation of implementation and improvements in care methodologies and technology.

Impact and Objectives

SILVERJOBS aims to enhance social cohesion, reduce territorial inequalities, and promote quality employment, especially in rural areas where issues such as depopulation and population ageing are prevalent.

  • Project Code: 0223_SILVER_JOBS_2_E
  • Programme: POCTEP – Interreg Spain-Portugal Cooperation Programme
  • Priority: (P5) Strengthening cooperation to address demographic challenges in the border area, creating attractive living conditions based on access to the labour market, essential public services, accessibility, and applying principles of social inclusion and equality of opportunities and treatment.
  • Specific Objective: (4.1) Improving the effectiveness and inclusiveness of labour markets, as well as access to quality employment, through the development of social infrastructures and the promotion of the social economy.
  • Policy Objective: A more social and inclusive Europe through the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights.
  • Region: Northern Portugal – Castile and León (Northwest Iberia)
  • Start Date: 01/01/2024
  • End Date: 31/12/2026
  • Total Budget: €1,063,588.57
  • Budget Funded by ERDF: €797,691.42
  • Budget Assigned to the Chamber: €131,095.20

Partnership (Beneficiaries-Partners):

SILVERJOBS is a cross-border cooperation project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund – ERDF – through the Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) Programme 2021-2027.

The European Commission assumes no responsibility for the content or use that may be made of the information contained in this publication. The information and opinions expressed are the sole responsibility of their respective authors.

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