The Parliament of the Canary Islands has unanimously approved an amendment that guarantees funding to begin the construction of the Integrated Vocational Training Centre of Los Llanos de Aridane in the 2027 regional budget.
The Parliament of the Canary Islands has given the green light, with the support of all parliamentary groups, to a substitution amendment that ensures the necessary funding for the start of works on the Integrated Vocational Training Centre (CIFP) of Los Llanos de Aridane. The funding will be included in the Autonomous Community's Budget for 2027, as reported by the Nationalist Group.
The proposal, driven by the groups supporting the Government (CC, PP, ASG and AHI), modifies the initial initiative from Nueva Canarias, which suggested a more immediate but less realistic budgetary approach. The aim, according to the promoters, is to ensure a solid financial plan for an infrastructure that the Palmero valley has been demanding for years.
The deputy of Coalición Canaria and mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane, Javier Llamas, explained that the amendment responds to two criteria of responsibility. On one hand, to avoid a budget modification in a fiscal year that is already well advanced, which, he pointed out, “would waste time and probably also money.” On the other hand, to take advantage of the increase in the spending limit for 2027, which exceeds 6% compared to the previous year and will allow for strengthening areas such as health, dependency, education and housing.
Llamas recalled that the CIFP project has faced years of delays, despite the municipality's historic commitment to Vocational Training. “The City Council made the necessary land available to the Government of the Canary Islands for its construction, and the works began in 2017, although they were halted a year later,” he noted.
In recent years, important steps have been taken, such as the inclusion of the centre in the Educational Infrastructure Plan 2024-2035, the resolution of contractual issues that were blocking the action, and the awarding, last April, of the project update. For Llamas, the next step is to secure funding to resume the works with all guarantees.
The nationalist parliamentarian defended the strategic nature of the future centre for the entire island. He recalled that the Valley of Aridane has nearly 33,500 inhabitants and that its area of influence exceeds 40,500 people if the municipalities in the northwest of La Palma are included. “The CIFP is not just an infrastructure for Los Llanos de Aridane; it is an investment for all of La Palma. Behind this project are thousands of young people who want to train close to home, workers looking to improve their qualifications, and companies that need skilled professionals,” he stated.
The new centre will allow for the adaptation of the training offer to the needs of the island's productive fabric, especially in areas such as administration, digitalisation, tourism, maintenance, energy and services. This will help generate new job opportunities and retain the population on the island, according to Llamas.
The approval of the amendment represents a significant advance for a long-demanded infrastructure. Now we must wait for the preparation of the 2027 budget to know the exact amount and the timeline for the execution of the works.
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