Laboratory of Social Entrepreneurship

💛 Millions of migrants in Europe work far below their potential, trapped in precarious jobs despite having education and experience. In Spain, Latin American migrants face structural barriers that limit their access to stable and dignified employment. These barriers include slow and complex credential recognition processes, discrimination in hiring, lack of professional networks, and difficulties proving work experience obtained in their countries of origin. As a result, many migrants with medium or higher education end up working in low-skill or informal jobs characterized by instability and limited opportunities for career progression. This problem is significant. Migrant workers in Spain face a 29% wage gap relative to native-born workers, while more than half of those holding higher education credentials are employed in positions below their qualification level. These dynamics create fragmented career paths, economic vulnerability, and negative effects on wellbeing and mental health. This program seeks to address these barriers through an intensive labor market integration model that combines training, real workplace experience, and personalized support to facilitate access to formal and sustainable employment. 👥 Who Will Benefit Primary beneficiaries Latin American migrants living in Spain, particularly: Adults of working age Migrants facing barriers to access formal employment Migrants experiencing underemployment or working below their qualification level Individuals facing difficulties in recognizing foreign degrees or professional experience Migrant women, who are disproportionately concentrated in low-paid sectors such as domestic work and basic services Secondary beneficiaries Families of program participants who depend on stable income Employers who need workers but face uncertainty when hiring migrants Local communities that benefit from stronger social integration Public systems that benefit from higher employment and economic participation In Spain (particularly Catalonia) Spain has experienced strong population growth driven largely by immigration. In Catalonia, approximately 19% of the population is foreign-born, making migrant labor integration a structural economic and social challenge. Despite migrants’ contribution to economic growth, several barriers persist: Long and costly credential recognition processes for foreign degrees Limited availability of public language training programs Employer uncertainty regarding foreign work experience Dependence on informal networks that often confine migrants to precarious sectors These structural barriers perpetuate labor market segmentation and limit the social mobility of migrant populations. 📊 Metrics Donors Can Understand Evidence-based outcomes: A similar early labor market integration program evaluated through rigorous research demonstrated promising results. Participants showed: Double the probability of employment compared to standard services An increase of approximately 15 percentage points in employment rates Higher participation in language training programs Improved transitions into the labor market through supervised work placements Evidence suggests that combining intensive training, real workplace experience, and active job placement support can significantly improve employment outcomes for migrant populations. 🌍 Why This Matters Migration is one of the main drivers of demographic and economic growth across Europe. Yet when migrant talent remains trapped in precarious employment, both individuals and economies lose valuable potential. Evidence-based labor integration programs can transform this dynamic by connecting underemployed talent with productive sectors of the economy, reducing labor precarity, and strengthening social cohesion. Supporting interventions like this means unlocking the full potential of migrant communities while contributing to more inclusive and resilient labor markets.

Millions of animals suffer in industrial systems without any reliable way to verify their living conditions. Industrial animal agriculture has expanded rapidly over the past decades, resulting in billions of animals being raised and slaughtered under intensive conditions. These systems prioritize efficiency and cost reduction over animal protection, and while some corporate commitments and legal regulations exist, the enforcement conditions are insufficient which may lead to an insignificant or zero positive impact, and in the worst case, worsen the previous situation. The problem is not only the scale, but the lack of transparency. Many producers do not disclose verifiable information about their practices, making it difficult for NGOs, regulators, journalists, and investors to assess compliance or push for improvements. As a result, even well-designed protection policies may have little to no real-world impact. CENTINELA addresses this gap by focusing on transparency as a key bottleneck. By generating reliable, comparable information on industry practices, the intervention enables external actors to apply informed pressure and drive improvements in animal protection. 👥 Who Will Benefit Primary beneficiaries: Animals raised in industrial farming systems (such as chickens, pigs, cows, and fish) Animals affected by poor welfare practices such as confinement, inadequate handling, and lack of oversight Secondary beneficiaries: Animal protection NGOs (improved access to actionable data) Journalists and media (evidence for public reporting) Regulators and policymakers (better monitoring tools) Investors and corporate stakeholders (improved decision-making) In Latin America: access to reliable information on farm animal welfare is highly limited. Structural barriers include: Weak regulatory enforcement Limited monitoring capacity Low corporate transparency Lack of standardized reporting systems This creates a critical gap: stakeholders cannot verify whether welfare commitments are being implemented in practice. 📊 Metrics Donors Can Understand CENTINELA does not directly change industry practices—it enables change by improving access to information and optimizing impact for existing animal welfare interventions. What this means in practice: More companies publicly evaluated on animal welfare transparency Increased visibility of both action and inaction (including non-response) Stronger evidence for NGOs to prioritize campaigns Greater pressure on companies to improve practices Evidence-backed outcomes: Participants (ecosystem actors such as NGOs) showed: Increased ability to identify high-priority corporate targets Improved access to standardized and comparable data Greater capacity to monitor corporate commitments Higher likelihood of using evidence in advocacy and campaigns 🌍 Why This Matters Improving animal welfare at scale requires more than good intentions—it requires reliable information. Without transparency, even the best policies and commitments risk failing in practice. By investing in CENTINELA, donors support a foundational piece of infrastructure that enables accountability across an entire industry. This approach does not act alone, but strengthens the effectiveness of all other efforts—making it a strategic and potentially high-impact lever for improving the lives of millions of animals.