Regional Director for Employment highlights innovative aspects of "Employment Cradle" project
The Regional Director for Employment and Vocational Training highlighted today the "innovative aspects" of the "Employment Cradle" initiative in Ribeira Grande, adding that the new regulations will extend the coverage of this employment and family support programme to more beneficiaries. In 2017, the employability rate of this measure stood at 61.2%.
"Created by the Regional Government in 2008 and considered by the European Commission an example of good practice in family support, this innovative and pioneering initiative will cover all workers on parental or adoption leave, regardless of their gender," said Paula Andrade. The government official spoke on the sidelines of a visit to Jacinto Ferreira Cabido Social Welfare Centre, an institution dedicated to the education and professional development of children and young people towards their social integration.
The Regional Director pointed out that this programme consists of "replacing workers on leave with beneficiaries of unemployment benefits, also regardless of their gender," adding that this replacement comes at no cost to employers "since they are reimbursed for the amounts paid."
"The amendment to the regulations arises from an updated view of a society that has evolved and become responsible from a social. economic and cultural standpoint. In this context, the Regional Government has decided to extend the scope of the measure to parents regardless of their gender," stated the government official.
According to Paula Andrade, the "Employment Cradle" programme contributes to the "protection of parenthood, promotes higher birth rates and encourages the acquisition of new skills on the part of beneficiaries, among other advantages."
After noting that the institution she visited today in Ribeira Grande "has applied for eight vacancies for the replacement of workers on maternity leave," the Regional Director added that the programme "has covered 2,290 workers and 239 entities in the Azores since 2008."
"It should be noted that in 2017 the vast majority of the unemployed covered by this programme managed to get a job, that is, the employability rate six months after the end of the programme stood at 61.2%," said the government official.
The duration of the programme is limited to the period of initial parental leave or adoption, which may be extended for another two months. The implementation of this measure is open to the following entities: private companies, central, regional and local administrations, Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS) and non-profit cooperative associations.