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Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego
Regional Government steps up investment in career guidance and vocational support for school-aged young people
Regional Government steps up investment in career guidance and vocational support for school-aged young people
Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego
Regional Agenda for Vocational Training is “delivering results” and bringing about “significant changes” for the Region
Regional Agenda for Vocational Training is “delivering results” and bringing about “significant changes” for the Region
Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego
More than 130 unemployed people placed in INCLUIR measure under Social Employment Market
More than 130 unemployed people placed in INCLUIR measure under Social Employment Market
April 8, 2026
Regional Government steps up investment in career guidance and vocational support for school-aged young people
April 7, 2026
Regional Agenda for Vocational Training is “delivering results” and bringing about “significant changes” for the Region
February 4, 2026
More than 130 unemployed people placed in INCLUIR measure under Social Employment Market
News
Nota de Imprensa
April 8, 2026
Regional Government steps up investment in career guidance and vocational support for school-aged young people
The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment announced today that the Regional Government is stepping up its investment in screening and vocational and career guidance for school-aged young people, aligned with the strategic proposal of the Regional Agenda for Vocational Education (ARQP) – Empowering Azoreans – Azores 2030. Maria João Carreiro spoke at the closing session of the “Qualifications 2036” seminar, organised by the Economic and Social Council of the Azores (CESA) in Ponta Delgada. On the occasion, she highlighted the increased focus on the Vocational and Career Guidance Office (GOVP) – established in 2022 – in supporting school-age young people in the Azores. “With GOVP, screening and vocational and career guidance sessions for school-aged young people will be further stepped up and expanded, encouraging them to draw up an individual career plan – an essential step in preventing these young people from becoming NEETs,” she explained. As the government official announced on Tuesday at a press conference to present the interim results of the ARQP, the NEET rate among young people in the Azores fell from 19.3% in 2020 to 12.1% in 2024, whilst the 2025 target set in the ARQP stood at 15%, representing a “very positive development” for the Region. Among other targets, the ARQP sets out the implementation of measures and actions to reduce the NEET rate among young people, through new models of early vocational guidance. “From the early school years, Azorean young people now have access to more coordinated measures from the Regional Directorate for Youth and the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment, which provide opportunities for vocational guidance and socio-professional integration,” she emphasised. According to her, GOVP “has been essential” in developing tailored training and employment solutions for NEETs, the long-term unemployed and other groups most in need of support, having already conducted 2,415 individual sessions and 420 group sessions with registered jobseekers. Maria João Carreiro also pointed out that public policies for training and employment “are being developed within a context that is profoundly different from that of five, 10, 15 or 20 years ago,” noting that the Region has seen its young population aged between 15 and 34 decrease by more than a quarter, falling from 78,469 to 57,434. “There are fewer young people in the Region’s demographic structure, longer educational pathways and more challenging transitions between education and work,” she noted. In a context where early dropout rates from education and training have fallen sharply compared with the figures of 20 years ago, the Region now has record highs in the number of employed people and record lows in the number of unemployed, she highlighted. According to the Regional Secretary, the Region “has moved from a model heavily reliant on employment schemes and precarious contracts to one increasingly focused on skills development, permanent employment and job quality,” as a response to the cyclical and structural challenges in training and employment that still persist. Since 2021, from the more than 7,200 placements under the hiring support scheme, 4,892 have benefited young people, with 87% on permanent contracts. “The shift in the profile of supported hiring is clear: whilst in 2017 only 1.1% of placements were permanent contracts, this figure reached 100% in 2025,” she concluded. Maria João Carreiro also noted that the initiative promoted by CESA, "Coordinated Public Action in Education and Vocational Training for Vulnerable Groups," underlined the importance of the path the Region has been following since 2021, a process in which the Regional Government relies on CESA’s contribution and participation.
April 8, 2026
Regional Government steps up investment in career guidance and vocational support for school-aged young people
The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment announced today that the Regional Government is stepping up its investment in screening and vocational and career guidance for school-aged young people, aligned with the strategic proposal of the Regional Agenda for Vocational Education (ARQP) – Empowering Azoreans – Azores 2030. Maria João Carreiro spoke at the closing session of the “Qualifications 2036” seminar, organised by the Economic and Social Council of the Azores (CESA) in Ponta Delgada. On the occasion, she highlighted the increased focus on the Vocational and Career Guidance Office (GOVP) – established in 2022 – in supporting school-age young people in the Azores. “With GOVP, screening and vocational and career guidance sessions for school-aged young people will be further stepped up and expanded, encouraging them to draw up an individual career plan – an essential step in preventing these young people from becoming NEETs,” she explained. As the government official announced on Tuesday at a press conference to present the interim results of the ARQP, the NEET rate among young people in the Azores fell from 19.3% in 2020 to 12.1% in 2024, whilst the 2025 target set in the ARQP stood at 15%, representing a “very positive development” for the Region. Among other targets, the ARQP sets out the implementation of measures and actions to reduce the NEET rate among young people, through new models of early vocational guidance. “From the early school years, Azorean young people now have access to more coordinated measures from the Regional Directorate for Youth and the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment, which provide opportunities for vocational guidance and socio-professional integration,” she emphasised. According to her, GOVP “has been essential” in developing tailored training and employment solutions for NEETs, the long-term unemployed and other groups most in need of support, having already conducted 2,415 individual sessions and 420 group sessions with registered jobseekers. Maria João Carreiro also pointed out that public policies for training and employment “are being developed within a context that is profoundly different from that of five, 10, 15 or 20 years ago,” noting that the Region has seen its young population aged between 15 and 34 decrease by more than a quarter, falling from 78,469 to 57,434. “There are fewer young people in the Region’s demographic structure, longer educational pathways and more challenging transitions between education and work,” she noted. In a context where early dropout rates from education and training have fallen sharply compared with the figures of 20 years ago, the Region now has record highs in the number of employed people and record lows in the number of unemployed, she highlighted. According to the Regional Secretary, the Region “has moved from a model heavily reliant on employment schemes and precarious contracts to one increasingly focused on skills development, permanent employment and job quality,” as a response to the cyclical and structural challenges in training and employment that still persist. Since 2021, from the more than 7,200 placements under the hiring support scheme, 4,892 have benefited young people, with 87% on permanent contracts. “The shift in the profile of supported hiring is clear: whilst in 2017 only 1.1% of placements were permanent contracts, this figure reached 100% in 2025,” she concluded. Maria João Carreiro also noted that the initiative promoted by CESA, "Coordinated Public Action in Education and Vocational Training for Vulnerable Groups," underlined the importance of the path the Region has been following since 2021, a process in which the Regional Government relies on CESA’s contribution and participation.
Nota de Imprensa
April 7, 2026
Regional Agenda for Vocational Training is “delivering results” and bringing about “significant changes” for the Region
The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, presented today the results of the mid-term evaluation of the Regional Agenda for Vocational Training in Ponta Delgada – Empowering Azoreans. It was established in 2022 as a strategic proposal to enhance the skills and employability of Azoreans, as well as to promote vocational education and training in the Region. At a press conference attended by Renato Medeiros, Regional Director for Vocational Training and Employment, and Francisco Simões, Assistant Researcher at CIS-ISCTE (University Institute of Lisbon) and coordinator of the Regional Agenda’s scientific team, the government official stated that this unprecedented initiative in the Azores is “delivering results” in these first four years of implementation. It is also bringing about “significant changes” for the Region. “The results achieved underline the importance of the path we are following, as well as the suitability of this strategic proposal for the Region’s economic, social and demographic challenges,” she said, noting that the Regional Agenda has been designed to run until 2030. Coordinated by Francisco Simões, the mid-term evaluation identifies “consistent progress” in the ongoing implementation of the Regional Agenda, with “measurable impacts” in strengthening career guidance for NEETs, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups. There has also been progress in raising the social profile of vocational education and training, and in increasing adult education and training in the Azores. The evaluation also highlights impacts such as new collaborative practices among training providers, schools and businesses; the recognition of the value of vocational education and training paths; the diversification of training provision, including in initial training; the modernisation of training support facilities in the 16 regional vocational schools; and the refurbishment of the Azores Training Centre through the RRP. Five of the eight targets set for 2025 were met or exceeded in 2024, representing a “positive development,” noted the government official. This is the case with the reduction in the early school dropout rate, which fell from 27% in 2020 to 19.8% in 2024, when the target for 2025 was 25%; the NEET rate among young people, which fell from 19.3% in 2020 to 12.1% in 2024, whereas the target for 2025 stood at 15%; or the reduction in the incidence of long-term unemployed in the Region’s total unemployment figures, which fell from 37.6% in 2020 to 27.5% in 2024, whilst the target for 2025 was 32%. The annual number of adults participating in workplace training has also risen from 450 in 2020 to 2,626 in 2024, exceeding the target of 900 adults set for 2025. Similarly, the annual number of adults with low qualifications involved in learning processes via the Valorizar Network increased from 450 in 2020 to 796 in 2024, whereas the target for 2025 stood at 660 adults involved in these programmes. “What we are seeing today is a Regional Agenda that is taking shape,” Maria João Carreiro noted, emphasising that this kind of assessment is not standard practice in public policies, and is therefore an exercise in transparency regarding the targets set out in the Agenda proposal. According to the Regional Secretary, the conditions are in place “to enter a new phase of consolidation” of the Regional Agenda for the 2026–2030 period, specifically in terms of strengthening its governance, rebalancing policies for vulnerable groups, implementing the OVER-SEES project, and recalibrating the training provision, as indicated by the mid-term evaluation. “The signs are positive and reinforce confidence in a strategic choice for the Azores. The growing recognition of the value of vocational qualification and training is a very positive sign for the future of the Azores,” he said, reiterating the Regional Government’s appreciation for the “mobilisation and commitment” of vocational schools and businesses in “successfully pursuing a goal that is in everyone’s interest.” The Regional Agenda for Vocational Training stems from the Regional Vocational Training Forum, an initiative of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition government launched in 2021. Public and private entities were brought together to analyse vocational education and training as well as to compile proposals and recommendations for the development of this sector, consolidating its central role in addressing structural challenges in training and employment.
April 7, 2026
Regional Agenda for Vocational Training is “delivering results” and bringing about “significant changes” for the Region
The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, presented today the results of the mid-term evaluation of the Regional Agenda for Vocational Training in Ponta Delgada – Empowering Azoreans. It was established in 2022 as a strategic proposal to enhance the skills and employability of Azoreans, as well as to promote vocational education and training in the Region. At a press conference attended by Renato Medeiros, Regional Director for Vocational Training and Employment, and Francisco Simões, Assistant Researcher at CIS-ISCTE (University Institute of Lisbon) and coordinator of the Regional Agenda’s scientific team, the government official stated that this unprecedented initiative in the Azores is “delivering results” in these first four years of implementation. It is also bringing about “significant changes” for the Region. “The results achieved underline the importance of the path we are following, as well as the suitability of this strategic proposal for the Region’s economic, social and demographic challenges,” she said, noting that the Regional Agenda has been designed to run until 2030. Coordinated by Francisco Simões, the mid-term evaluation identifies “consistent progress” in the ongoing implementation of the Regional Agenda, with “measurable impacts” in strengthening career guidance for NEETs, the long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups. There has also been progress in raising the social profile of vocational education and training, and in increasing adult education and training in the Azores. The evaluation also highlights impacts such as new collaborative practices among training providers, schools and businesses; the recognition of the value of vocational education and training paths; the diversification of training provision, including in initial training; the modernisation of training support facilities in the 16 regional vocational schools; and the refurbishment of the Azores Training Centre through the RRP. Five of the eight targets set for 2025 were met or exceeded in 2024, representing a “positive development,” noted the government official. This is the case with the reduction in the early school dropout rate, which fell from 27% in 2020 to 19.8% in 2024, when the target for 2025 was 25%; the NEET rate among young people, which fell from 19.3% in 2020 to 12.1% in 2024, whereas the target for 2025 stood at 15%; or the reduction in the incidence of long-term unemployed in the Region’s total unemployment figures, which fell from 37.6% in 2020 to 27.5% in 2024, whilst the target for 2025 was 32%. The annual number of adults participating in workplace training has also risen from 450 in 2020 to 2,626 in 2024, exceeding the target of 900 adults set for 2025. Similarly, the annual number of adults with low qualifications involved in learning processes via the Valorizar Network increased from 450 in 2020 to 796 in 2024, whereas the target for 2025 stood at 660 adults involved in these programmes. “What we are seeing today is a Regional Agenda that is taking shape,” Maria João Carreiro noted, emphasising that this kind of assessment is not standard practice in public policies, and is therefore an exercise in transparency regarding the targets set out in the Agenda proposal. According to the Regional Secretary, the conditions are in place “to enter a new phase of consolidation” of the Regional Agenda for the 2026–2030 period, specifically in terms of strengthening its governance, rebalancing policies for vulnerable groups, implementing the OVER-SEES project, and recalibrating the training provision, as indicated by the mid-term evaluation. “The signs are positive and reinforce confidence in a strategic choice for the Azores. The growing recognition of the value of vocational qualification and training is a very positive sign for the future of the Azores,” he said, reiterating the Regional Government’s appreciation for the “mobilisation and commitment” of vocational schools and businesses in “successfully pursuing a goal that is in everyone’s interest.” The Regional Agenda for Vocational Training stems from the Regional Vocational Training Forum, an initiative of the PSD/CDS-PP/PPM coalition government launched in 2021. Public and private entities were brought together to analyse vocational education and training as well as to compile proposals and recommendations for the development of this sector, consolidating its central role in addressing structural challenges in training and employment.