RRP target met with training provided for over 2,500 members of households receiving social support - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Saúde e Segurança Social

The Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, Mónica Seidi, visited the Valorizar Network premises in Angra do Heroísmo to deliver certificates of attendance for training courses aimed at members of households receiving social support.

“Empowering people is one of the cornerstones of the Regional Government’s work. These training courses provide participants with tools that boost their independence, confidence and prospects for entering the workforce,” emphasised Mónica Seidi.

The initiative marked the fulfilment of one of the targets set out in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) for the Autonomous Region of the Azores: “Training for members of households receiving social support,” included in investment C03-i04-RAA. It was implemented by the Regional Directorate for the Promotion of Equality and Social Inclusion (DRPIIS), representing an overall investment of €1.25 million, funded under the RRP.

As part of this initiative, a range of training programmes has been developed across various islands of the archipelago. These are still ongoing, largely due to the training role played by the Valorizar Network and the referral of participants by the Training and Employment Centre.

The contents focused on areas such as the development of psychosocial skills, family and financial management, domestic literacy, career guidance, job-seeking techniques and the promotion of personal independence.

So far, around 450 training sessions have been held, resulting in the issuance of nearly 4,000 certificates of attendance, covering more than 2,500 members of households benefitting from social support.

In supporting and empowering these families, the approaches taken by the Institute for Social Security of the Azores (ISSA) and DRPIIS play a complementary role in promoting self-reliance and breaking the cycle of poverty, with DRPIIS focusing primarily on social and relational aspects, whilst ISSA focuses on economic and financial aspects.

For the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, these initiatives represent “an essential tool for empowering families, boosting their independence and breaking cycles of social vulnerability,” whilst also helping to reduce the number of people receiving social benefits and lower the risk of poverty in the Region.