Regional Government brings youth, skills training and employment programmes to Azores Industry, Trade and Services Fair – FICSA - Communication

Direção Regional de Qualificação Profissional e Emprego

The Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment (SRJHE) will be present at the next edition of the Azores Industry, Trade and Services Fair – FICSA 2026, which takes place from May 8 to 14 at Portas do Mar in Ponta Delgada, an annual event organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ponta Delgada.

This institutional participation will be coordinated by the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment and the Regional Directorate for Youth. It is intended to “raise public awareness of policies concerning youth, training, employment and skills development in the Region,” explained Maria João Carreiro.

According to the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, the SRJHE stand will be an “open public service desk” to provide information on traineeship programmes, support for recruitment and professional retraining, as well as training opportunities in the Region, or youth mobility and volunteering programmes.

“Our aim in taking part in this event is to bring citizens and businesses closer to the incentives and opportunities for qualification as well as training and employability available in the Azores, encouraging young people and workers to invest in their training and skills,” stated the government official.

The SRJHE stand will be part of the “Qualifications Area” at FICSA. It will also feature a section promoting Vocational Education in Vocational Schools, as part of the “Your First Choice” campaign, which is run annually by the SRJHE to raise awareness among school-aged young people about the opportunities provided by this educational path and the application period for training programmes available at vocational schools.

The courses for the 2026–2029 training cycle available at the 16 regional vocational schools and at the Azores Training Centre will be presented during FICSA, whose this year's edition is dedicated to employment and qualifications. 

Every day, the SRJHE stand will also hold sessions on “Your First Choice LAB – Discovering Careers,” featuring live and interactive demonstrations of occupations and career fields conducted by students from Azorean vocational schools.

"When they see firsthand how people work or what they learn in a particular professional field, young people are better able to understand what each career path entails and identify areas of interest that they would often not discover from theory alone. These demonstrations are important in helping them make more informed decisions aligned with their interests," defended Maria João Carreiro.
The schedule for the “A Your First Choice LAB” sessions can be found on the “Vocational Training and Employment in the Azores” and “Azores Youth” Facebook pages.

FICSA, held annually during the Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres Festivities, features this year 122 business stands and 56 craft stands, run by the Crafts and Design Centre of the Azores, under the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment.