Regional companies have the "most qualified generation of Azoreans" at their disposal, says Sérgio Ávila
The Vice-President of the Government said today in Ponta Delgada that regional companies have the "most qualified generation of Azoreans" at their disposal.
The government official defended that companies should draw the potentialities of the Government's promotion in vocational training and seize this opportunity to restructure themselves in order to meet the challenge of competitiveness.
"Azorean companies have the most qualified generation of Azoreans at their disposal. However, this investment will only have an economic return if companies will be willing to make the necessary effort to qualify its production structures," said Sérgio Ávila. In this context, the government official stressed that "this much needed restructuring is not just a challenge for companies; it is rather the key element to ensure the future competitiveness of Azorean companies."
For Sérgio Ávila, successful companies will be those that will "face the opening of markets as an opportunity and not as a threat" and those that will "demonstrate the ability to absorb, integrate and seize the potential of this new generation of Azoreans."
"Azorean companies can benefit from a wide range of support measures for the integration of youngsters compared to the companies in Mainland Portugal, which is a significant comparative and competitive advantage regarding the competition outside the Azores," stated the Vice-President, who spoke at the opening of the 20th Regional Skills Championship.
In this context, the Vice-President reminded that 1,420 youngsters are currently entering into the labour market through professional traineeships. Additionally, the Professional Integration Programme for Trainees has supported the integration of 551 youngsters over the last 12 months and the "Integra" programme has supported the hiring of over 310 Azorean workers by regional companies.
"We want to strengthen this effort so that we can create better conditions to financially support and encourage the progressive integration of our youngsters in Azorean companies," Sérgio Ávila assured, reminding "the "irreplaceable role of Azorean companies" in the training and professional qualification of youngsters.
The Regional Skills Championship will take place this week and brings together 40 youngsters from several areas of the Azores; there are eight occupations in competition. The Vice-President noted that this initiative will "assess the performance and reward excellence as a decisive condition for successful future."
"Skills championships are meetings where youngsters have the opportunity of competing with each other, thus demonstrating, evaluating and comparing their professional skills. These initiatives also demonstrate the vitality of vocational training in the Azores," Sérgio Ávila stated, recalling that this year the Azores are the only national regional to hold this championship.
"This fact is only possible because we have an established network of vocational training schools which have always responded positively to challenges of qualifying Azorean youngsters in recent years, said the Vice-President. In this context, the government official defended that "the idea of providing vocational training without the important and enriching experience of skills championships."