Quintana de la Serena approves the regulations of the rural program ATENEO

Quintana de la Serena launches the ATENEO program “Quintana Forma 2”

The Hon. City Council of Quintana de la Serena has announced, through a notice published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz No. 156, of 17 August 2026, the approval of the Internal Regulations of the rural collaborative program ATENEO “Quintana Forma 2”. The agreement was adopted by the municipal plenary at its ordinary session held on 30 July 2026.

The regulation governs the internal operation of this employment and training project, promoted by the Quintana City Council, which is part of the ATENEO rural collaborative program network of the Autonomous Community of Extremadura. The document is published as Notice 3227/2026 in the Local Administration section of the provincial gazette (official reference: BOP-BAD-2026-3227).

A program against social exclusion in rural areas

According to the preamble of the regulations, ATENEO programs are structured as an employment policy aimed at improving the labor market integration and professional qualification opportunities of people in situations of or at risk of social exclusion. The scope of action is limited to municipalities in Extremadura with a population of fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.

The regulations detail that the program includes guidance, tutoring and intermediation pathways, as well as training combined with employment. These pathways include formulas such as workshop schools, employment workshops, trade houses and the @prendizext program, all in collaboration with the Regional Government of Extremadura and, more specifically, with the Extremadura Public Employment Service (SEXPE).

Organizational structure and working conditions

The highest institutional responsibility is shared between the City Council of Quintana de la Serena, as the promoting and contracting entity, and the body of the Regional Government of Extremadura that acts as the grant management body. Internally, the organization is supported by a management-teaching team that manages the day-to-day running of the project.

The working conditions established in the regulations are as follows:

• Training contract for the students/workers, with a duration of six months.
• Salary equivalent to 75% of the current interprofessional minimum wage, including the proportionate share of the extra pay.
• Fixed-term contract for teaching staff, for a period of six months and fourteen days.
• Working hours of 35 hours per week, distributed from Monday to Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Weekly rest of two full days, generally Saturday and Sunday.
• Annual leave of 15 calendar days for student-workers and 16 calendar days for the technical team.

Disciplinary regime and rights of participants

The text likewise addresses the rights and duties of program members. Among the rights are respect for dignity and privacy, professional training that enables labor market integration, advisory services in self-employment and entrepreneurship techniques, as well as receipt of the legally established remuneration.

The disciplinary regime classifies offenses as minor, serious, and very serious. Minor offenses include improper conduct toward colleagues, repeated tardiness, or use of mobile devices during working hours. Serious offenses include possession of drugs during the workday, attacks on the physical or moral integrity of other members, and repeated disregard for safety rules. Very serious offenses include insubordination that causes serious harm to the service and reporting to the workplace while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

The publication of the regulation in the BOP of Badajoz constitutes the official dissemination of the bases that will govern the program, allowing the municipalities of the commonwealth and potential beneficiaries to learn the specific conditions for participation. For Quintana de la Serena and its rural surroundings, the launch of ATENEO “Quintana Forma 2” represents a tool to combat depopulation and structural unemployment in an area where the lack of employment opportunities disproportionately affects people at risk of social exclusion.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Province of Badajoz, No. 156, August 17, 2026, Local Administration section (official reference: Notice 3227/2026).