The Regional Employment Fund (FRE) is a public fund endowed with administrative, financial and asset management autonomy under the administration of the governmental department responsible for the area of employment.
The inception of this autonomous fund dates back to the time when, pursuant to the enforcement of the Decree-Law no.96/81 of April 29, the Ministry of Labour (the administrator of the Unemployment Fund) transferred funds to the Autonomous Region of the Azores to support the development of an employment policy tailored to the reality of the Azores. Therefore, the legislative path followed by the Regional Employment Fund in the area of Labour (and employment policies) from 1981 to the present date is based on the Regional Legislative Decree no.41/82/A of November 9 (created by the Regional Decree no.3/82/A). The funds granted to the Unemployment Fund were included in the revenue of then newly created Regional Office for the Management of the Unemployment Fund (GRGFD). After the GRGFD, and due to the enforcement of the Regional Legislative Decree no.5/88/A of March 4, the Financial Management Office for Employment (GGFE) was created to replace this entity. The revenue of the former Unemployment Fund was included in the revenue of the newly create Office. The GGFE was eventually replaced by the Regional Employment Fund, which maintains the same structure since its inception and is in compliance with the Regional Legislative Decree no.21/2003/A of April 6.
The Regional Employment Fund comprises the following bodies:
a) The administration board composed of a president and two part-time members.
b) The board of auditors; its duties are assigned to an entity legally qualified to audit accounts under the terms of the law.
The support services to FRE comprise the logistical and administrative support to its operation. The technical services are provided by a team composed of five senior technicians and five administrative assistants.
The mission of FRE is to comply with the duties assigned in article 2 of the Regional Legislative Decree no.21/2003/A of May 6, the legal document establishing this fund.
The FRE team intends to achieve, through its mission, a progressive efficiency of the structural results concerning the powers assigned to this entity.
The Regional Employment Fund is also responsible for the implementation of several programmes designed to stimulate employment and promote vocational training: Estagiar L, Estagiar T and Estagiar U (traineeships); PIIE; Recuperar; Prosa; CPE -Premium; Integra+ and Start Up; Maintenance of Jobs; Human Resources Exchange in Agriculture; Agir Agricultura and Agir Indústria; Prosa; CTTS; Employment Incubator; Fios; Inclusion Company; Inclusion of disabled workers; Eures Network; Eurodyssey; Requalificar, Reactivar; SME - Training; ABC Courses.
The action of the FRE team, as a provider of public services and without ever neglecting the fulfilment of other administrative procedures, is based on the full compliance with the principles guiding public management, namely legality, transparency, efficiency and productivity. Its purpose is to serve the best interests of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. In this regard, the main goal of the Regional Employment Fund is to ensure the economic efficiency of costs and procedures to be adopted in the provision of services. The management of the goals pursued is secured by a periodic assessment of results.