The “Tierra Firme” initiative, led by the Government of the Canary Islands, is marking its second anniversary with results that have turned it into one of the region's most visible migration-cooperation programmes. The scheme has trained a total of 400 young Africans in their countries of origin, mainly from Senegal, Mauritania and Cape Verde, through dual vocational training designed to open up job opportunities without the need to emigrate.
The standout figure is the programme's employment rate: 36% of participants have found stable jobs in their home countries, most of them with Spanish and Canary Island companies where they completed their internships. According to Luis Padilla, the Canary Islands' Director General for Relations with Africa, the programme's success lies in tailoring training to actual labour demand in these countries near the Canaries, adding that close cooperation with local authorities and on-the-ground businesses helps many young people stay on to work once their placements end.
The programme began in the summer of 2024 with a pilot phase in Dakar, Senegal, where three dual vocational courses trained 24 young people in agriculture, textiles, and hospitality and tourism. Strong results led to a much more ambitious second phase between late 2024 and the first half of 2025: seven intensive courses in Senegal benefited 211 young people across textiles, plumbing, electrical work, construction, renewable energy, hospitality/tourism and agriculture. The project also expanded into Mauritania, where it helped place 40 young people trained in construction into the job market.
Beyond the numbers, Tierra Firme sits within a broader migration strategy: offering real alternatives at the source to curb young people's departure along the Atlantic Route. The Canary Islands' government representative argues that these results show cooperation with countries of origin and transit is the best way to discourage young people from boarding a cayuco and to prevent loss of life on one of the world's deadliest migration routes. The more than 30 courses delivered over these two years have relied on collaboration with Spanish chambers of commerce and official educational centres in Senegal, Mauritania and Cape Verde, reinforcing both the quality of the training and its local roots.
Links of interest
–Official statement from the Government of the Canary Islands on Tierra Firme's two-year track record, with statements from Luis Padilla and details of the cross-training offered to top students:
–Full breakdown of the project's phases, from the pilot in Dakar (2024) to the funding of the courses by the Canary Islands government:
–Detailed figures on the project's second phase (211 young people trained in Senegal) and its expansion into Mauritania (40 young people trained in construction):
–Anniversary coverage focused on the cooperation strategy as an alternative to irregular migration:
–Summary of the project focused on its origins (summer 2024) and its rollout across training sectors:
https://www.revistaintegracion.es/tierra-firme-cumple-dos-anos-con-400-jovenes-formados-en-origen/
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| Trainees on internships in the Tierra Firme project. |
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