Personas vulnerables, competencias y empleo en el Principado de Asturias

Abstract

Precarious employment and unemployment are becoming widespread in our society as a structural problem that is associated with increased vulnerability. The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Commission (EC) have been highlighting the role of training throughout life through individualized itineraries that include skills, not only technical, but attitudinal and social, which is why we have proposed an investigation to give voice to unemployed people, especially those with greater vulnerability. The research design is mixed in that it uses a questionnaire to investigate which skills have a greater impact on labour market insertion and a qualitative tool, life histories, to explore in depth the barriers and difficulties of the object of study. The sample comprises 525 unemployed people in Asturias, thirty-seven of whom were randomly selected to deepen the information provided. The results indicate that competences are highly valued, especially those related to personal, organisational and planning skills. On the other hand, unemployment has an impact on personal and emotional aspects, especially when it is prolonged over time. The findings support previous studies that highlight the role of life-long skills training through individualised pathways when they have a labour, personal and social impact.