Landmark edition of Azores Skills 2026 showcases talent of new generation ready to shape future of the economy - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The 26th Regional Skills Championship – Azores Skills 2026 – has come to an end. It was a “landmark edition” marked by the highest ever turnout, the unprecedented participation of all Azorean vocational schools, and greater involvement from the business community in the competition, stated the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro.

At the awards ceremony, held at the São Miguel Agricultural Association Hall in Ribeira Grande, the government official highlighted the “growth of Azores Skills in terms of scale and recognition,” emphasising that the competition is establishing itself as a “showcase for young people’s talent and an increasingly strong reflection of the quality of vocational education” in the Region.

“Azores Skills is much more than a competition. It is a showcase for the talent and skills of a new generation ready to build the future of the Azores’ economy, an affirmation of the quality of training in vocational schools, and an opportunity to align young people’s training with the needs and expectations of businesses,” stated the government official. 

The 26th Regional Skills Championship took place from November 2 to 6 at the Azores Training Centre in Ponta Delgada. Organised by the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment, the event featured 90 competitors across 21 occupations in 19 professional sectors, and 51 judges, including professionals from the local and regional business community.

“The link between the business community and teaching in vocational schools cannot be limited to identifying companies’ needs. The Region needs companies to play an increasingly active role in defining, implementing and evaluating training programmes,” she said.

The presence of more than two dozen representatives from companies and organisations at the closing ceremony, who joined in the awarding of medals to the top-ranked participants, was a further sign of the business community’s commitment to recognising the skills and talent of young people, as the Regional Secretary also pointed out.

Maria João Carreiro also thanked the companies and organisations that contributed to the running of the competitions by providing equipment and other materials, noting that this collaboration demonstrates confidence in the value of training and the future of vocational education.

At the largest regional competition promoting talent, skills and occupations – which serves as the qualifying round for WorldSkills Portugal, taking place from February 23 to 27, 2027, in Aveiro – vocational school students demonstrated technical knowledge, professional skills, creativity, problem-solving ability and a spirit of perseverance.

“The talent we celebrate at Azores Skills does not come about by chance. It is also the result of demanding vocational schools, dedicated professionals and training that transforms aspirations into skills and skills into opportunities,” the government official stated, praising the “collective commitment to quality, the promotion and affirmation of vocational education.”

According to her, “one of the greatest achievements of Azores Skills is to provide young people with experiences that challenge them, recognise their skills and boost their confidence in their professional future. Regardless of the results achieved, all participants leave Azores Skills better prepared, more experienced and more confident in their abilities."

“Medals recognise achievements. The talent, courage and determination they have shown distinguish each participant who accepted the challenge of competing. The future belongs to those who work hard, persevere and have the courage to put themselves to the test,” she said.

During her speech, Maria João Carreiro reiterated her commitment to promoting vocational education, noting that this year’s event demonstrated the presence of talented young people, committed vocational schools, professionals dedicated to passing on their knowledge, and companies willing to play a part in developing the region’s workforce.

“We emerge from this edition with a renewed confidence that it is worth continuing to invest in, transform and believe in vocational education,” she concluded.

Winners of Azores Skills 2026

AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK

1st Place – Gold Medal

Gil Machado Ribeiro | EPROSEC School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Celso Alves | MEP – Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Ponta Delgada Vocational School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Leonardo Dias da Rosa | São Jorge Island Vocational School

COMPUTER NETWORK MANAGEMENT

1st Place – Gold Medal

Henrique Gouveia Sousa | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Tadeu Cordeiro Melo | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Bernardo Teves | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

CLOUD COMPUTING

1st Place – Gold Medal

Rui Miguel de Aguiar Dias | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

CYBER SECURITY

1st Place – Gold Medal

Marco Miguel Medeiros Melo | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Diogo André Branco Vieira | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Francisco da Rosa Franco | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT FOR MOBILE DEVICES

1st Place – Gold Medal

Humberto Medeiros Carvalho | EPROSEC School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Leonardo Rafael Pacheco dos Santos Alexandre | EPROSEC School

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

1st Place – Gold Medal

Lucas Pacheco Cabral | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Sandro Filipe Gonçalves Andrade | EPROSEC School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Ana Isabel Mesquita Ribeiro | EPROSEC School

WEB TECHNOLOGIES

1st Place – Gold Medal

Inês Carreiro Medeiros Ferreira | EPROSEC School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Leonardo de Luca | EPROSEC School

ACCOUNTING AND MANAGEMENT | CRM

1st Place – Gold Medal

Pedro Miguel Fagundes Sousa | EPROSEC School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Luana Moniz Viveiros | EPROSEC School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Miguel Resende Costa | EPROSEC School

AUTOMOTIVE MECHATRONICS

1st Place – Gold Medal

Lucas Freitas Massa | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Paulo Rodrigo Couto Viana | Azores Training Centre

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Bernardo Trindade Duarte | São Jorge Island Vocational School

WELDING

1st Place – Gold Medal

Ricardo Costa Botelho | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Francisco Cabral Medeiros | Azores Training Centre

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Nuno Miguel Gomes da Silva | Azores Maritime School

ELECTRICITY AND ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS

1st Place – Gold Medal

Bruno André Almeida Oliveira | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Martim Silva Martins | Azores Training Centre

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Daniel Varão Gata | Azores Training Centre

ELECTRONICS

1st Place – Gold Medal

Rodrigo Silveira Pontes | Praia da Vitória Vocational School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Wilson André Silveira | Praia da Vitória Vocational School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Luciano Silveira Félix |  Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Angra do Heroísmo Vocational School

RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

1st Place – Gold Medal

Frederico Amaral Ledo | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Miguel Cabral Pires | Azores Training Centre

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Paulo Vieira Penacho | Azores Training Centre

MOBILE ROBOTICS

1st Place – Gold Medal

Gonçalo Oliveira Botelho and Meiline Manuela Graça Oliveira | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Rodrigo Matos Martins and Vasco Santos Maciel | ENTA – Azores School of New Technologies

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Lisandro Miguel Sousa Veríssimo and Tiago Dinis Machado Viveiros | Azores Training Centre

INDUSTRIAL ROBOTICS

1st Place – Gold Medal

Marco Sousa Aguiar and Bruno Araújo Ponte | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Mateus Martins Fontes and Simão Araújo Silva | Azores Training Centre

CARING – PERSONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES

1st Place – Gold Medal

Heldinaica Pinto Brandão dos Santos | MEP – Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Ponta Delgada Vocational School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Nádia Patrícia Fontes Pacheco | MEP – Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Ponta Delgada Vocational School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Maria Alice Moniz Araújo | Nordeste Vocational School

BEAUTY THERAPY

1st Place – Gold Medal

Érica Paula Rodrigues Correia | Azores Training Centre

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Mariana Pacheco Moniz | Vila Franca do Campo Vocational School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Mariana Moniz da Silva | Azores Training Centre

HOSPITALITY

1st Place – Gold Medal

Maria Augusto Botelho | EPROSEC School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Carla Patrícia Aguiar Jesus | EPROSEC School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Francisca Moniz Baptista Sousa | Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ponta Delgada Vocational School

CONFECTIONERY 

1st Place – Gold Medal

Jandira Helena Santos Moreira Monteiro | Praia da Vitória Vocational School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Micaela Fagundes de Melo | Praia da Vitória Vocational School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Roberto Viveiros Monteiro | Azores Tourism School

CULINARY

1st Place – Gold Medal

Tomé Oliveira Sousa | Praia da Vitória Vocational School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Tiago Formiga Pereira da Silva | Azores Tourism School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Santiago Roque Sousa | Azores Tourism School

RESTAURANT AND BAR SERVICE

1st Place – Gold Medal

Maria Teresa Furtado Rebelo | Vila Franca do Campo Vocational School

2nd Place – Silver Medal

Matias Pinheiro Pacheco | Vila Franca do Campo Vocational School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal

Gonçalo Filipe Machado Costa Gil | Praia da Vitória Vocational School