Por Pablo Arranz 
Today, the Conference Hall of Benidorm City Council has hosted the ‘Disability and Employment’ conference organized by the Benidorm Employment Board. This event focused on the theme ‘Benefits and Incentives for Hiring,’ discussing aspects related to the employment of people with disabilities and the assistance and subsidies available to companies that choose to hire them.
The conference was opened by Mayor Toni Pérez, who emphasized that «the best social policy is employment» and highlighted that it is the public administrations’ permanent obligation to facilitate access to employment. He praised the work carried out by the Employment and Local Development Agency and noted that the unemployment rate is the lowest in 18 years. «There can be no policy without generating employment for people,» stated the mayor, underscoring the sensitivity of the Employment Board.
«We all have to be united in this fight, and that’s what the Benidorm Employment Board does. We will continue to work together, united and coordinated,» Pérez concluded.
Also present at the opening was the territorial director of Employment and Labora, Cortes María Martínez, who referred to the data showing the difficulty of hiring these individuals in the province of Alicante and expressed bewilderment at the discrimination many of them face in the labor market.
«Why do we continue to erect barriers?» she wondered. Martínez affirmed that a person with a disability entering the labor market «does not feel or consider themselves excluded because working for them means normalizing life.» Therefore, she concluded that today’s conference was «a space for ideas and opportunities to generate synergies in support of the employment of people with disabilities. May each participant leave convinced that progress towards a better society is possible.»
The presentations today covered ‘Bonuses and aids for hiring,’ ‘Labora services and business obligations,’ ‘Successful labor intermediation: ten keys to real inclusion,’ and ‘Business experience in managing inclusive talent.’
Mónica Gómez, the Councilor for Employment of Benidorm City Council, closed the conference by emphasizing the «work done» by the Employment Board, the «effort of the administration» in job creation, and advocating for «continuing to work in this direction to provide them with the opportunities they deserve, which is what we are here for.»