Number of young people placed in ESTAGIAR U programme rises to 976 - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

A total of 976 young students enrolled in graduate, master’s or postgraduate programmes will begin their professional traineeships in real-world workplace contexts in July, August or September under the ESTAGIAR U programme. This initiative is annually promoted by the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment, through the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment.

Compared with 2025, there has been an increase of 117 young people placed and a 40% rise in placements under this programme as compared with 2023. This year’s placements have reached their highest level in the last six years, i.e., since 2021 [635 young people].

According to Maria João Carreiro, Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, the “significant growth in the number of applicants and those accepted into ESTAGIAR U confirms the programme’s sustained growth, the scope of its impact and its consolidation as a key tool in young people’s academic journey to promote youth employability.”

“This programme confirms that public policies make a difference when they are designed to meet the needs and interests of young people. In promoting this summer traineeship programme, we are enriching the academic journey of young higher education students and helping to bring them closer to the regional business community and employers,” he emphasised.

Regarding training months, 59% of young people have chosen to carry out their traineeships in July, with about 40% in August and 1.7% in September.

This year, there has been a significant response from trainees to the training component, with 88.4% opting to undergo certified training with a minimum workload of 20 hours. These training sessions are conducted via e-learning after working hours, covering areas such as Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Artificial Intelligence, Media Literacy and Cybersecurity.

The traineeships run for one month, starting and ending within the same month, with a maximum weekly schedule of 25 hours, matching the schedule of the training provider, which can be private companies, cooperatives, public companies or non-profit organisations. 

Young people are entitled to a financial allowance equivalent to the Minimum Monthly Wage in the Region.