Picasso Project- Funded for Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration

The current economic situation in our country has led to an unprecedented increase in the unemployment rate, especially among young people, who are considering seeking opportunities beyond our borders. In this regard, since 2013, the Fundación Salud y Comunidad developed the Picasso Project, an initiative aimed at guiding the job search for individuals wishing to start their professional careers abroad. Specifically, the Picasso Project has focused on Germany, although it is planned to expand our services to other European Union (EU) countries. Our uniqueness lies in our commitment to providing the technical and personal tools so that participants can find employment in the professional sector for which they have trained.

What services do we offer?

• Personalized analysis of the professional profile in Germany and possible career paths.
• Key information about job searching in Germany (lebenslauf).
• Individualized support in preparing the curriculum vitae.
• Individualized support in writing cover letters (Anschreiben) and letters of recommendation (Arbeitszeugnisse).
• Personalized training to pass job interviews in Germany, according to the participant’s professional profile.
• Support in managing various procedures (registration, social security, employment office, housing…).
• Support in searching for job offers and/or internships related to the participant’s professional profile.

What programs do we offer?

• “Young Program” aimed at young Spanish people who have already moved to Germany and are in the process of job searching in this country. Picasso Project is present in the German regions of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Hesse, where we have supported hundreds of young people between 18 and 35 years old through the “Young Program” funded by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security. To participate in this program, it is essential to be registered in the corresponding Consular Register.
• “TLN Mobilicat Program” aimed at young people from Catalonia who wish to do internships in a German company according to their professional profile. Within the framework of the “TLN Mobilicat Program” funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya and the European Social Fund (through the European “Mobility” program), Picasso Project offers a scholarship to unemployed young people between 18 and 30 years old registered in the Youth Guarantee Program (PGJ) for professional internships in an EU country. The scholarship includes pre-departure training, travel to the destination country, and accommodation and maintenance during the stay. In 2016, 8 young engineers received this scholarship to carry out professional internships in Germany.
• “Picasso Labor Orientation Program” for those who do not meet the access requirements of the previous programs. Picasso Project also offers its services to people who do not meet the age, nationality, or residence requirements demanded by the previous publicly funded programs. In this case, each service has a reduced price of 25€.

How do we do it? All our participants count from the beginning on the support of a native Spanish-speaking Jobcoach (employment counselor) who guides their job search process abroad through group and individual orientation sessions. These sessions integrate, as appropriate, psychosocial aspects and coaching related to job searching. The orientation sessions are conducted through different means depending on the needs and/or possibilities of each participant (in-person or via videoconference).

Since 2013, this project has provided career guidance to more than 300 people, approximately a third of whom are working in areas corresponding to their professional profile. Picasso Project hopes to continue improving the quality of its services to support all those young Spanish people displaced to Germany or other EU countries who wish to do so.