The Spanish proximity and social economy (P&SE) ecosystem is highly diverse, spanning sectors, organisational models and territorial realities. It is largely composed of small organisations and micro-enterprises, many of which operate in local or rural areas where access to training and skills development is often limited.
At the same time, the green and digital transitions are increasing demand for new competences, requiring continuous upskilling and reskilling. While competence frameworks, training resources and skills intelligence are being developed at European level through the Proximity and Social Economy Large-Scale Partnership (LSP), their uptake at territorial level remains uneven, limiting their usability and impact in local contexts.
The ambition
To address these challenges, the RSP for the Proximity and Social Economy in the Spanish Regions aims to strengthen the skills ecosystem for the P&SE in Spain through a coordinated, place-based approach to upskilling and reskilling.
Building on cooperation between regional training organisations in Cantabria, Andalusia and Asturias, the RSP promotes a ‘learning-by-sharing’ model to support the adaptation and scaling of successful methodologies across regions. It seeks to enable organisations to attract and retain talent, support workers in adapting to the green and digital transitions, and contribute to a more competitive and inclusive economy.
The RSP aims to expand its activities to additional regions in Spain and support a more coherent approach to lifelong learning in line with regional, national and European priorities.
The commitments
The RSP commits to strengthening the link between EU-level initiatives and regional implementation. It will act as a testing and validation environment for the outputs of the P&SE LSP, adapting competence frameworks, training materials and skills intelligence to regional needs, including those of micro-enterprises and rural communities.
It will also deliver structured upskilling and reskilling activities focused on green, digital and entrepreneurial competences, while promoting inclusive participation. Through regional stakeholder forums, cross-regional exchanges and cooperation between training providers, social partners and public authorities, the RSP will strengthen alignment between skills provision and labour market needs.
In parallel, it will establish a continuous knowledge-sharing process, producing structured feedback to improve the relevance and transferability of EU-level tools and support evidence-based decision-making.
Want to know more about this RSP’s work? Find out more in the Partnership Declaration:
Details
- Publication date
- 15 May 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion