890 young Azoreans entered the labour market this month through the "Estagiar" programme, which "has been a path of success," announces Sérgio Ávila
The Vice-President of the Government highlighted today the significant employability rate of young people who participated in "Estagiar" programmes in Angra do Heroísmo, revealing that 57 percent were hired soon after the traineeship period.
"This demonstrates that the "Estagiar" programme has provided a very significant contribution to the entry of young people into the labour market," said Sérgio Ávila.
The government official spoke to journalists after a visit to the "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" in Angra do Heroísmo, which admitted seven trainees this month. On the occasion, he stressed that, among the more than 7,000 young people who have participated in the traineeship programme over the last four years, 57 percent have been able to find a job" right after the traineeship.
Sérgio Ávila pointed out that the hiring of young people was partly made under the PIIE - Professional Integration Programme for "Estagiar" trainees, which has already contributed to the hiring of more than 1,860 young people, through the awarding of financial prizes to entities and companies; the remaining found employment without public support.
The Vice-President also mentioned the legislative amendments that has led entities and companies to hire half of the trainees so that they could continue applying for the programme.
Hence, it was possible to prevent "an abusive use of the 'Estagiar' programme," while the Regional Government created new support measures intended to encourage companies to hire trainees under contracts of indefinite duration, said Sérgio Ávila.
This programme, whose duration has been extended, aims to provide young people with the opportunity to carry out duties appropriate to their qualifications in a real work context, acquiring professional experience and new skills that will enhance their integration in the labour market, thus tackling the difficulties of youth employability.
Despite the reduction in the number of unemployed in the Azores to half, Sérgio Ávila stated that the constraints imposed on the conditions and age of retirement throughout Europe and, consequently, in the country and in the Region have hindered the entry of young people into the labour market, which justifies the measures implemented by the Regional Government.
The government official also announced that 890 young Azoreans began this month traineeships on all islands under the "Estagiar L" and "Estagiar T" programmes.
Among these young people, 319 are university graduates and 571 hold a vocational training diploma.
The Vice-President of the Government welcomed trainees to the programme and the beginning of their professional path at "Santa Casa da Misericórdia" of Angra do Heroísmo, an entity he considered "exemplary" for having hired, since 2014, 13 trainees, nine of whom through the PIIE programme.