Today in the plenary hall of the Formentera Council, councillor of commerce Alejandra Ferrer and Pep Mayans, president of the Formentera small and medium-sized business association (PIMEEF), handed out certificates of achievement to students of the PIMEEF's Council-sponsored courses. Some 130 individuals participated in the training sessions, which spanned ten days and were designed to improve students' skills in retail work settings, leadership and tourist customer service. Additional courses were focused on traditional Formentera pastry-making and cocktails.

According to Councillor Ferrer, the courses were aimed at “providing workers and tradesmen training opportunities to improve the services offered to visitors and residents.” In the councillor's words, the initiative is “less about infrastructural improvements and more about bettering the quality of services provided.” The PIMEEF president thanked participants for taking part in the training and stressed the importance of promoting such opportunities on the island. The Council has provided €15,000 in funding for the courses. 

Earlier today, Formentera Council president Jaume Ferrer and social welfare councillor Vanessa Parellada met with the recently appointed Colombian consul in the Balearic Islands, Diego Felipe Cadena Montenegro. Afterward, the president thanked Cadena for his visit, which took place in the president’s office and, according to Ferrer, involved both sides expressing a desire to “launch cultural and artistic exchanges.” Ferrer described the process ahead as one of “sitting down with Colombian residents here on the island and finding out where the most interest exists for exchange programmes.”

The Colombian consul pointed out the presence in his country of a chain of islands –San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina– he said bears similarities to the Balearics. The Colombian archipelago’s experience, he noted, “could be of interest to the Balearics in general and to Formentera in particular.” Cadena pledged to help the Formentera Council establish contacts with the Colombian archipelago, whose similar geographical conditions mean “[Formentera and San Andrés, Providencia y Santa Catalina] have got plenty to talk about”.

According to Councillor Parellada, Formentera is home to nearly 200 residents of Colombian origin, a fact which places the South American country third from the top on the list of non-European countries with residents on the island. In the words of the councillor, “our Colombian communities are among the most active we’ve got. They are also very involved in the community and their connections go deep, which makes for a better experience for everyone.”