Spain's CEOE sees future engineers in immigrants
Spain's business association CEOE argues that immigrants will be the engineers of the future amid a talent shortage. Reality or an excuse for cheap labour?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
CEOE backs immigration to fill technical vacancies
Where will Spain find the engineers it needs? The employers' association CEOE has a clear answer: from immigration. Against a backdrop of an ageing population and a shortage of technical talent, the organisation led by Antonio Garamendi has put forward a controversial proposal: foreign workers will not only fill basic jobs, but will also become the engineers the digital economy demands.
The underlying problem: neither training nor retention
CEOE's position clashes with a stubborn reality: Spain trains engineers, but loses them. The brain drain to northern Europe and precarious working conditions in technical sectors discourage people from pursuing these careers. Meanwhile, automation is advancing slowly compared with Japan or Germany. Someone will have to operate the machines, and if there are no locals to do it, the solution is to bring them in from abroad.
Scepticism about the official narrative
Far from CEOE's optimism, a current of analysis argues that the rhetoric clashes with the reality of the labour market. Critics point out that many of the jobs on offer are temporary and poorly paid, a far cry from the image of the qualified engineer. The promise of a brilliant technical future for immigrants sounds to some like wishful thinking, when experience shows that most of the demand is concentrated in hospitality and basic services.
The debate on skilled immigration
Some argue that immigration has always been an engine of innovation, and that the figures for arrivals of degree holders are significant. CEOE clings to these data to justify its position, although it offers no concrete figures on how many foreign engineers actually end up in jobs matching their qualifications. The suspicion that what is really being sought is cheap labour dressed up as a modernisation narrative runs through the debate.
Final irony: the same old story
The curious thing is that the argument is not new. Every expansionary cycle, the employers' association rediscovers the virtues of immigration to fill the jobs nobody wants — or that are not paid enough. As long as automation remains a pending task and technical salaries fail to match those of our neighbours, the immigrant engineer narrative will sound more like a stopgap than a plan for the future.
Where will Spain find the engineers it needs? The employers' association CEOE has a clear answer: from immigration. Against a backdrop of an ageing population and a shortage of technical talent, the organisation led by Antonio Garamendi has put forward a controversial proposal: foreign workers will not only fill basic jobs, but will also become the engineers the digital economy demands.
The underlying problem: neither training nor retention
CEOE's position clashes with a stubborn reality: Spain trains engineers, but loses them. The brain drain to northern Europe and precarious working conditions in technical sectors discourage people from pursuing these careers. Meanwhile, automation is advancing slowly compared with Japan or Germany. Someone will have to operate the machines, and if there are no locals to do it, the solution is to bring them in from abroad.
Scepticism about the official narrative
Far from CEOE's optimism, a current of analysis argues that the rhetoric clashes with the reality of the labour market. Critics point out that many of the jobs on offer are temporary and poorly paid, a far cry from the image of the qualified engineer. The promise of a brilliant technical future for immigrants sounds to some like wishful thinking, when experience shows that most of the demand is concentrated in hospitality and basic services.
The debate on skilled immigration
Some argue that immigration has always been an engine of innovation, and that the figures for arrivals of degree holders are significant. CEOE clings to these data to justify its position, although it offers no concrete figures on how many foreign engineers actually end up in jobs matching their qualifications. The suspicion that what is really being sought is cheap labour dressed up as a modernisation narrative runs through the debate.
Final irony: the same old story
The curious thing is that the argument is not new. Every expansionary cycle, the employers' association rediscovers the virtues of immigration to fill the jobs nobody wants — or that are not paid enough. As long as automation remains a pending task and technical salaries fail to match those of our neighbours, the immigrant engineer narrative will sound more like a stopgap than a plan for the future.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (14 replies).
More summaries
-
Spain's Garamendi faces anti-Spanish accusations over immigration stance
CEOE president Antonio Garamendi has been accused of being anti-Spanish for backing immigration to fill jobs, sparking a debate over economic patriotism in Spain.
-
Sub-Saharan immigration will shape Spain's future
Birth rates in Morocco are plummeting while sub-Saharan immigration grows: Spain's migration future is being written in sub-Saharan Africa.
-
Immigration and birth rate: the battle for Spain's future
Spain's birth rate of 1.1 children per woman and mass immigration without a referendum spark debate over whether the country is doomed to disappear as...
-
Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Yandex Cripple Russian Bot Traffic
Ukrainian attacks on Yandex data centers in Vladimir, Sasovo and Kaluga have caused a sharp drop in Russian bot traffic, with reports of a 56% decline.
-
The price of affection: the money thresholds Spanish men set for finding a Latina partner
From threshold ages (25, 88, 100) to the price of affection: the economic dilemma facing older single Spanish men when it comes to relationships with Latin American women.
-
Natives first: the policy splitting Spain down the middle
The new PP-Vox deal in Castilla y León introduces 'national priority' in public services. Discrimination or common sense? The economic debate dividing Spain.