Early school leaving continues to be one of the great social and economic challenges for the future in Barcelona. Its effects transcend the education system: they condition the development opportunities of young people, social cohesion and Barcelona's ability to generate the talent that the city's business fabric requires.
This is the first major challenge that the Board 2030 has set out to tackle, a community of organisations committed to the transformation of the city that was presented today at the Fundació Conservatori Liceu. Promoted by B Lab Spain, EADA Business School and Ferrer, under the umbrella of Barcelona+B, this alliance brings together business leaders and strategic actors in Barcelona to promote solutions to shared problems such as inequality, employability, housing and sustainability.
The presentation of this business community was attended by the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who pointed out: "We need initiatives such as the Board 2030 to build the city we want, a city in which no one is left behind. This project conveys a fundamental message to young people: that they dare to dream, that they persevere and that they do not allow anyone to limit their future. That is why the involvement of the business sector, through alliances such as Barcelona+B, is essential to work together for a shared goal: to have a better society."
In line with the vision and international standards of the B Corp movement, the Board 2030 promotes collaboration and collective action to generate tangible and measurable impact in the city.
In the words of Mario Rovirosa, CEO of Ferrer: "Business leadership makes sense when it is put at the service of major social challenges. The Board 2030 was created to turn this leadership into collective action, aligning companies, administrations and social entities with a common goal: to promote a fairer, more inclusive, more sustainable Barcelona and consolidate it as an international benchmark in impact economy."
The companies and organizations that are part of the 2030 Board are: B Lab Spain, CBRE, Consorci Zona Franca, Cushman & Wakefield, Deloitte, EADA, Ferrer, Ship2B Foundation, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ImpactCO, Medichem, Moritz, Nactiva, Quadpack, R4S, Reig Jofré, TRAM, Uriach and Volkswagen Group Spain Distribution, among others.
A real impact in the face of a systemic problem
The first collective action promoted by the Board 2030 seeks to reduce the risk of poverty and exclusion in the city of Barcelona and increase opportunities for the development of local talent, addressing one of the roots of these challenges: early school leaving. As highlighted during the event, presented by the journalist Ramón Pellicer, school dropout does not only begin when a student physically leaves the classroom, but when he or she stops perceiving future possibilities for himself.
To address this problem, the Board 2030 has joined forces with the Exit Foundation, an entity with more than 25 years of experience dedicated to reducing early school leaving among young people in situations of social vulnerability. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the initiative has accompanied 272 young people from the Training and Insertion Programmes (PFI) of Barcelona and its metropolitan area with the aim of preventing them from dropping out of their training.
Professionals from the companies that make up the 2030 Board have accompanied these young people throughout the year with the aim of continuing their studies, offering them guidance, guiding them on what the labour market is like, explaining their companies and their departments. Without specific intervention, 40.7% of these young people do not continue studying; However, in the current academic year, and thanks to the support of the programme, 89% of the participating students have been able to continue their education.
As Nacho Sequeira, general director of the Exit Foundation, has pointed out, "too often we talk about educational dropout when it has already occurred. Our experience shows that when young people find role models, get to know the professional world closely and feel that someone trusts them, they significantly increase their expectations for the future." And he adds: "Educational dropout is a multi-causal problem that can only be solved through collaboration between the educational, business and social sectors".
In addition, 98% of volunteer professionals recommend the experience, consolidating the role of the company as an effective agent of social change. In this school year, the initiative has mobilised a joint investment of more than €510,000 and the talent of 303 corporate volunteers, who have acted as references and guides for students.
The commitment of companies to local talent
During the event, which included testimonies from young people and teachers, it was stressed that school dropout is not only a problem of the education system, but a shared responsibility. In this framework, the role of the company and its ability to contribute to the well-being of the community was highlighted, understanding that supporting the educational development of Barcelona's youth means, at the same time, favouring their future opportunities and the generation of professional talent for the economic fabric of the city.
Pilar Varela, Director of Institutional Relations at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and member of the 2030 Board, said: "The 2030 Board is a first-level management space that turns strategic reflection into real commitment and collective action, seeking concrete involvement in the face of shared challenges. It activates the role of companies as agents of transformation, connecting their business dimension with social impact and demonstrating that it is possible to address complex challenges in a coordinated way."
Beyond school dropouts, the 2030 Board is formalised with the aim of promoting new collective actions in areas such as employability, housing, sustainability and the reduction of inequalities, reinforcing the role of the business sector as an actor involved in Barcelona's social and economic development.
