The students have carried out internships in localities at risk of depopulation

A total of 28 university students have carried out tutored extracurricular internships for six months in different municipalities of the province within the pilot program PUENTES Agenda Urbana 2021 (University Internships in Sustainable Territories), an initiative led by the Diputación de Granada that has offered to city councils the possibility of receiving young university students to work on the Urban Agenda actions agreed with the provincial institution.

The initiative is the result of the collaboration between the Provincial Council, the University of Granada, the Social Council, the town councils and the associations, which have worked together to encourage university talent to turn into development projects in the province and favor, at the same time, training for employment and career guidance for students.

Participating in the final seminar for the transfer of the program was the Deputy for Employment and Sustainable Development, Ana Muroz Arquelladas; the director of the Center for the Promotion of Employment and Internships of the University of Granada, Antonio Delgado Padial; and the president of the Economic Affairs Commission of the Social Council, Maria José Lopez Gonzalez, to take stock of the operation of this pilot experience.

The Deputy for Employment and Sustainable Development has expressed her pride in the launch of this initiative and has pointed out that "not only does it represent a training opportunity for young students, but it is also a way to value rural areas". “We have managed to make many people see that rural areas are also a place where jobs and opportunities can be created. That is why PUENTES is also part of our strategy against depopulation and the demographic challenge”, he pointed out.

The program has had in its first edition a budget of 179,837 euros financed by the provincial institution and has allowed the participation of young students in projects related to the agri-food sector, sustainable tourism, culture and heritage, the economy of the care, sustainable construction and spatial planning.

Reference Link:https://www.ugr.es/universidad/noticias/28-jovenes-universitarios-programa-puentes