This is precisely what the Novia Salcedo Foundation achieved during the seventh edition of its awards to acknowledge excellence in the vocational integration of young people. The Arriaga Theatre was draped for the occasion in order to receive the four winners who have distinguished themselves through their work with young people.

Jordi Albareda, from Bilbao, in the Individual category, Emtesport in the Enterprise category, The Paraguaya Foundation in the Institutions category and Victoria Camps in the Ad Honorem category. They received the acknowledgement for their work from the hands of His Majesty Felipe VI.

The monarch, who attended the awards as King for the first time, upheld the need for decent employment for young people in his speech. “Employment, job creation and the occupational integration of our citizens is therefore our greatest challenge. The lack of jobs has particularly affected young men and women“.

The prize-winners

Jordi Albareda, stressed that today’s society is moving very quickly and that culture is being consigned to a back seat in a very emotional speech. On the other hand, Martin Burt, from the Paraguaya Foundation, highlighted the ability to help young people by responding to their needs, using the method of learning by doing, selling and earning. Marta Sánchez and Matxalen Laskibar, from Emtesport, spoke about the alarming unemployment figures and stressed the urgent need to alleviate this situation, an essential prerequisite for the advancement of social justice. The philosopher Victoria Camps mentioned that reconciling youth and employment helps to dignify work. She also praised education as a tool to reverse the culture of individualism.

empleo juvenil rey españaFelipe VI supported the International Campaign

One of the most significant moments for the International Campaign that Novia Salcedo is promoting in favour of youth employment was when the King, once again, expressed his support for the initiative.

“Without doubt, the issue of employment transcends borders and affects societies at a truly global level. Novia Salcedo clearly saw this, and with its initiative, supported by the Government, has launched the International Campaign for a Youth Employment Decade, which – as stated in its basic tenets- aims to generate an international movement of reflection, thought and action to contribute ideas, content and consensual solutions to the situation of unemployment that millions of young people around the world are experiencing.

As is well known, the goal is to ensure that the UN General Assembly declares a ‘Youth Employment Decade’ as an opportunity for the economic transformation of organisations and countries in line with the mission – as I have already mentioned and would like to reiterate – of promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, new technologies and science with a view to generating more value and more employment. It is also important to encourage initiatives that make use of the talents of young people. Congratulations to the Novia Salcedo Foundation for this brilliant initiative”.