Grupo ABD concludes the POWGEN pilot in Barcelona with the “POWGEN Connect Barcelona” event

On 3 July, Lleialtat Santsenca hosted POWGEN Connect Barcelona: Partnerships for an Inclusive Energy Transition, an event organised by Grupo ABD, in collaboration with Ecoserveis, to mark the closing of the Barcelona pilot of the European POWGEN project.

The event brought together around 30 representatives from public authorities, vocational education and training centres, companies from the renewable energy and construction sectors, migrant-led organisations, social economy entities and labour inclusion professionals. The aim was to share the main results and lessons learned from the two years of implementation of the Barcelona pilot, while strengthening the partnerships established among the different stakeholders to ensure the project’s long-term impact.

POWGEN is a European project that promotes vocational training and labour market integration for people from diverse backgrounds in strategic sectors such as renewable energy and energy-efficient building renovation. Throughout the event, participants highlighted that a fair energy transition can only be achieved by placing social inclusion at its core and creating real opportunities for people in vulnerable situations.

The event opened with welcoming remarks by Mireia Munté, Director of the International Department at Grupo ABD, and Loles Martínez, Director of Labour Inclusion at Barcelona Activa. Both speakers underlined the need for the green transition to help reduce inequalities and highlighted the collaborative work carried out throughout the Barcelona pilot by public institutions, companies and social organisations.

Lara Rot, Project Coordinator, together with Elena Gómez, Job Counsellor at Comunitat Activa, and Benjamí Rodríguez, Labour Prospector at Comunitat Activa, then presented the results achieved during the pilot. Beyond the quantitative outcomes, the presentation focused on the project’s positive impact on participants’ employability, the creation of new professional pathways, and the importance of combining technical training with personalised social support to overcome the barriers that many migrants still face when entering the labour market.

Aliances for the energy transition and social transformation

The programme continued with the roundtable “Training for Transformation: Skills, Opportunities and Labour Inclusion in the Energy Transition”, moderated by Cristina Ramos, Director and Project Manager at Ecoserveis. The discussion featured Sherylan Garcia, POWGEN Training Coordinator at Comunitat Activa (Grupo ABD); Elisenda Clèries, Technical Training Coordinator at Ecoserveis; Eloy González, Head of the School-Business Department at Salesians Sarrià; and Natalia Salvadó, Training Manager at the Barcelona Construction Guild. Speakers reflected on the design and implementation of the training programme, highlighting the importance of adapting learning methodologies to participants’ diverse backgrounds while maintaining high-quality standards and strengthening coordination between technical trainers and social support professionals.

Following a networking session, the second roundtable, “Towards a More Inclusive Sector: Companies, Territory and Diversity in the Energy Transition”, moderated by Mònica Plana, Director of the Inclusion and Poverty Area at Grupo ABD, explored the role of companies and local stakeholders in building a more inclusive energy sector. Karim Sabni El Garraf, Director of Idària Cooperativa; Cristina Thió, Founder of Chroma Restauració del Patrimoni Arquitectònic; Alexis Serra, Director of Strategy and Communication at Generamés; and Nicole Elgueta, member of Migress, shared experiences and proposals to promote more inclusive recruitment processes, recognise existing professional skills beyond formally recognised qualifications, and strengthen cooperation between businesses, public authorities and social organisations.

The event concluded with closing remarks by Mònica Plana, who reflected on the legacy of the Barcelona pilot and stressed the importance of maintaining the partnerships established through the project beyond its lifetime. The event also gave the floor to Melissa Cardona, one of the pilot participants, who shared her personal experience and highlighted the positive impact that POWGEN has had on her employability and confidence to pursue new professional opportunities.

With this event, Grupo ABD officially brought the Barcelona pilot of POWGEN to a close, consolidating a collaborative model involving public authorities, training providers, companies and social organisations that has demonstrated the value of cooperation in advancing a fairer, more inclusive energy transition that creates opportunities for everyone.

Watch the video to see how it went: