The Diplomat
The Embassy of Ecuador in Madrid and Planeta Formación y Universidades signed a collaboration protocol yesterday in the Spanish capital to provide scholarships to Ecuadorians living in Spain to enable them to receive training and access jobs.
The protocol was signed at the Ecuadorian Embassy in Madrid, in a ceremony presided over by Ambassador Andrés Vallejo and the Director of Planeta’s Training Division, Carlos Giménez Gómez, together with the Consul General of Ecuador in Barcelona, Patricio Garcés, and the Director of Pro Ecuador’s commercial office in Madrid, Borys Mejía.
With this agreement, which will be in force for one year, expressly extendable for annual periods and up to a maximum of four years, a framework of collaboration is established between the Embassy of Ecuador and Planeta Formación y Universidades, whose objective is to promote the development and cultural enrichment of the Ecuadorian community resident in Spain through higher, professional and continuous training.
To achieve this objective, the Grupo Planeta will be able to grant Ecuadorian citizens different types of scholarships and special conditions in its programmes.
The collaboration between the two entities will include the implementation of collaborative activities and projects that contribute to improving the competitiveness of Ecuadorian companies, as well as to the training and professional development of Planeta Formación and University students.
According to the Ecuadorian Embassy, through this protocol, information will be disseminated among the Ecuadorian community in Spain regarding the scholarships and special conditions that they may apply for to study higher, professional and continuing education programmes, which will be agreed prior to each academic call for applications. This communication will be channelled through the Consulate General of the Republic of Ecuador in Barcelona.
Likewise, the agreement includes a commitment to host internship students from Planeta Formación and University programmes at the Pro-Ecuador Institute for the Promotion of Exports and Investments and the promotion of internships and end-of-degree and master’s degree projects in Ecuadorian companies.
Finally, both entities are committed to the implementation of training activities, meetings and other actions to strengthen Ecuador’s productive clusters and its competitiveness policy.
For Planeta Formación y Universidades, Carlos Giménez Gómez expressed his satisfaction with this line of cooperation, which, he said, will open up opportunities for higher education and greater professionalisation for Ecuadorians, as is already being done in some collaborations with the National Secretariat for Higher Education, Science and Technology (SENESCYT).
For his part, Ambassador Vallejo reiterated the Embassy’s commitment to promote the training of its nationals, as it opens up “better possibilities for access to employment”.