Regional Government's commitment to youth is permanent, solid and long lasting, stated the Regional Secretary of the Presidency
"The Regional Government's commitment to Azorean youth is a three month agreement with purely electoral purposes; it does not consist in Saturday afternoon meetings. This is a commitment for the long-term, based on a solid bond, with guarantees and results that has lasted for 16 years," stated André Bradford during the presentation of the project for the São Miguel Youth Academy in Ponta Delgada on Thursday morning.
According to the government official, those who now propose "contracts and clauses and talk about innovations, technological development, transverse nature of skills and new opportunities have left the Government with zero Azorean youngsters in mobility and exchange programmes, zero Azorean youngsters with access to holiday camps; zero Azorean youngsters with access to youth information networks; zero Azorean youngsters with training in entrepreneurship, self-employment and innovation; less than 400% youngsters integrated in youth associations and less than 3000% partner entities and association in the youth area."
At the occasion, André Bradford also recalled the projects developed by the Government over the last years in the area of: " internal and external mobility of Azorean Youth through tools such as the Card Interjovem"; "promotion of Youth Associations with the allocation of a considerable amount of funds in various partnerships at a time when youth associations were non-existent in the Region and the quality of youth civic actions was insufficient"; the investment in non-formal training, free time occupation, provision of activities at holiday camps, youth volunteering and the promotion of healthy lifestyles."
The government official concluded that "we have not done yet all there is to do and we did not do everything right, but we are sure we have helped to turn the Azores into a region that is aware of its human potential and the importance of youth qualification."