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Regional Government brings youth, skills training and employment programmes to Azores Industry, Trade and Services Fair – FICSA
Applications for ESTAGIAR U programme open from May 1 to 31
Regional Government steps up investment in career guidance and vocational support for school-aged young people
This space is intended to be an important tool for the dissemination of the activities carried out by the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment (DRQPE), being accessible to all citizens.
Due to constant technological advances, the DRQPE strategically places at the service of all multiple contents and information of specific interest, but also of more general interest, providing a more comprehensive and clear vision of the competences and mission of this Regional Government service.
The Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment is responsible for assisting the Regional Secretary for Youth, Vocational Training and Employment in the development and pursuance of policies in the areas of employment, labour, training and vocational, monitoring the implementation of the resulting measures.
Therefore, the mission of the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment is focused on finding effective solutions to the challenges of qualifying human resources and promoting the employability of Azoreans. This is reflected in the increased competitiveness of our companies and, thus, contributes to the economic and social development of the Azores.
In this regard, the governmental action for vocational training and employment in the Azores should continue to focus on the monitoring of the unemployed, the promotion of vocational training and qualification of human resources, and the promotion of employment and labour stability. Furthermore, it should also focus on the social dialogue and on raising the awareness of social partners for the need to promote collective bargaining. In the pursuit of this mission, this department relies on funding from the Regional Budget, state transfers and Community funds, under the European Social Fund (ESF), the main financial instrument of the European Union (EU) for investment in people.
As such, and besides providing contents and functionalities, we are available to inform, advise and guide all citizens in the scope of our mission.
You are all most welcome!
May 5, 2026
Regional Government brings youth, skills training and employment programmes to Azores Industry, Trade and Services Fair – FICSA
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.
April 29, 2026
Applications for ESTAGIAR U programme open from May 1 to 31
Applications for ESTAGIAR U are open from May 1 to 31 for both young people and entities promoting this professional traineeship programme. It provides real-world work experience to young students residing in the Azores and enrolled in higher education, including graduate, master and postgraduate programmes. Applications must be submitted at empregojovem.azores.gov.pt, as announced by the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment, through the Regional Directorate for Vocational Training and Employment. The traineeships are one month long and can be carried out in July, August or September, starting and ending in the same month, with a maximum 25-hour working week, following the same schedule as that of the promoting entity. Private companies, cooperatives, public companies and non-profit organisations may promote traineeship programmes under the ESTAGIAR U measure. Young people are entitled to a financial allowance equivalent to the Minimum Monthly Wage in the Region. This amount is reduced by 30% when trainees opt not to attend a certified training workshop with a minimum duration of 20 hours in e-learning format after-work hours covering areas such as Entrepreneurship, Personal Development, Artificial Intelligence and Media Education, and Cybersecurity, according to the Order published today in the Official Journal.