Milma project’s closing event
It has been a long, sometimes intricate, but undoubtedly rewarding journey to carry out the MILMA Project. More than 500 people have gone through this training programme, 168 of whom are immigrants or refugees, not counting the data from the 4th edition, which are still being processed. In addition, 196 people have worked or are working after some of the training, 42 of whom are immigrants. These are encouraging data that made us reflect on the success of the project and encouraged us to share our experience with other actors.
The idea of this final event was none other than this, to count on the collaborating companies, trainees, and partners, but also to share with the rest of the departments of the City Council that have made this project possible.
Likewise, and without losing sight of the inspiring element of the UIA projects, the replicability of the models tested, we invited technical staff and those responsible for municipal training and employment programmes from all over the Madrid region, professionals from social services, professionals from the third sector and companies.
In total, 35 people in person (limit allowed by COVID) and almost 30 people online joined us on this important day.
The event began with great news from the Mayor of Fuenlabrada, Javier Ayala, who confirmed the continuity of the Milma Project beyond the UIA funding. Undoubtedly, a commitment to the model of the project and its transfer to the methodology of the Centre for Training and Employment Initiatives of Fuenlabrada.
The event, which took place in Los Arcos Centre, converted into a training space thanks to UIA funding, was divided into three tables that aimed to provide an overview of the life of the project.
The first part of the event sought to contextualise the MILMA Project: its design, structure, methodology, and intervention strategy. Juan Carlos Hernández Navas, technical director for the management of city projects and Coordinator of MILMA, gave us an overview of the origins of the project to situate the entire audience before tackling the more technical elements of the MILMA experience.
Next, Miriam Dácil Darias Pérez, the technician in charge of adapting the methodology of the Employment Launchers of the Santa María La Real Foundation to the MILMA Model, spoke to us about one of the key elements of this project, the ETEIs Manual, and how these Experimental Teams for Inclusion and Employment have become a unique and integrated model in technical training for the development of transversal competencies or soft skills.
In the second section, we will look at the evolution of the project. Where did we start from and what has the MILMA model become? Magdalena López Herrador, manager of CIFE, spoke to us about the importance of the UIA innovation model and how it was key in offering us the opportunity to adapt to the needs of a changing environment.
At this table, we could not forget other major players in this project, the companies, and their experience. Thus, Beatriz Aylagas, head of CSR and sustainability at Ecoembes; Ignacio Gil García, president of the Association of Installation of Light Pavements APR; Gema Sarmiento Beltrán, manager of the University Hospital of Fuenlabrada gave us their vision on the importance of public-private partnerships for economic growth and social inclusion.
The last part of the event began with the intervention of Fernando Varela de Ugarte, director of Social Gob and in charge of the final systematisation, who closed this technical tour with a summary of the results, lessons learned, and replicability of the MILMA Project.
The event ended with the heart of the MILMA Project, the stories of two people who participated in the project, Salah Mersani, a light flooring installer after he participated in the project, and Teresa Romero, who is working as an orderly at the Fuenlabrada Hospital.
The event was closed by the Councillor for Economic Development, Employment, Trade and Industry, and External Cooperation, Soledad Martín, who made a final assessment of the achievements of the project and thanked, once again, all the people, organisations, and companies that have made this project a success.
Finally, we would like to thank Camille Degryse, UIA project officer, for her presence on this important day, her words of recognition, and, especially, her professionalism, support, and closeness during these three years of work together.
If you are interested in what we have told you so far and want to know more about MILMA, please visit our website www.milma-fuenlabrada.es . In addition, we will publish the video of the final event subtitled in English very soon. Stay tuned!
Integration of migrants and refugees
