Eragintza Marks 35 Years of Supported Employment

That matters economically because the story is not just about social inclusion, but about labour-force participation. Eragintza said people with mental illness continue to face a structural stigma that keeps them out of the workforce, even as the World Health Organization has stressed that quality work is central to recovery. The organisation cited Spain’s INE data showing people with psychiatric disabilities have an activity rate of 29%, below the 35% average for people with disabilities overall, highlighting a persistent gap between policy intent and actual labour-market access.

For employers, the model offers a way to recruit, train and retain workers who might otherwise be excluded, while reducing the cost of failed placements. Of the 232 contracts managed this year, 154 were in special employment centres and 78 in ordinary companies in Bizkaia, showing that the bridge from protected to open employment still depends on intensive coaching and tailored support. Eragintza’s services include pre-employment activation, youth programmes, certified training and four occupational centres covering activities from gardening and laundry to cabling and bookbinding.

The longer-term investment case is less about near-term revenue than about whether public and private partners continue funding a system that converts social spending into participation, productivity and lower exclusion costs. For the public sector, every successful placement can ease welfare dependence and widen the tax base; for employers, it can improve access to labour at a time when many firms are still struggling with hiring and retention.

The foundation’s 35-year milestone also arrives as Spain’s labour market shows uneven progress, with formal employment gains in some large companies but layoffs elsewhere. In that context, supported employment stands out as one of the few labour policies with a clear dual dividend: it can help fill vacancies while improving outcomes for a group that the mainstream market still underserves.

If Eragintza can keep scaling its mix of counselling, training and company partnerships, the main question for investors and policymakers alike is not whether the model works, but whether it can be expanded without losing the personalised support that makes it effective.