Regional Government increases investment in Youth, Housing and Employment – Maria João Carreiro - Communication

Secretaria Regional da Juventude, Habitação e Emprego

The Investment Plan in the areas of Youth, Housing and Employment represents an overall investment of 116 million Euros for this year, as a result of the increase in public investment in these areas of governance, the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment announced today at the Azorean Parliament in Horta, during the presentation of the Plan and Budget for 2024.

"The investment proposals, as well as the Medium-Term Guidelines, are set out in the Programme of the XIV Government of the Azores and benefit from a positive economic context, which means that the Region can now provide even more ambitious responses to the challenges in these areas of governance," said Maria João Carreiro.

The Youth area has an investment of 2.6 million Euros, representing an increase of 69% compared to 2023, for the implementation of "strong and integrated policies."

With the approval of the draft Plan and Budget for 2024, the Government will begin implementing the measures under the MAIS JOVEM package to attract and maintain talent in the Region. 

One of the first measures to be implemented concerns the provision of two trips per academic year to young students travelling from their island of residence enrolled in graduate and master's degree programmes in the Azores, Mainland Portugal or Madeira.

The proposed Investment Plan for 2024 includes support for hiring young people, increased according to their qualifications, "so that young people can settle in the Region and see their efforts recognised with job stability and proper salaries."

Maria João Carreiro also praised the proposed changes to the "Inhabited Home, Renovated Home" and "Self-build" programmes to ensure that "more young families can access housing at prices compatible with their income."

In the area of Housing, the Government plans to invest 29.3 million EAuros, an increase of 15.4% compared to 2023, to continue a strategy of housing promotion, rehabilitation and renovation initiated by the XIII Government, which has resulted in an investment of more than 43 million Euros, benefiting more than 9,400 families.

"We cannot, and no government will be able to, do everything that was to be done - and there was a lot to be done - in just three and a half years," she said.

She defended that these results "reinforce the importance" of continuing with proximity measures adapted to the Region, "including more young, middle-class, single-parent and large families among the beneficiaries of regional programmes."

Regarding the investment in Housing under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), Maria João Carreiro assured that the Government will continue to promote the conditions so that the Region can harness this "opportunity to improve the conditions of the public housing stock through the construction of new dwellings and renovation of existing ones."

As for Vocational Training and Employment, the investment will increase by 30.5% compared to 2023, corresponding to 83 million Euros, to continue promoting public policies that generate "levels of confidence much higher than in 2020," she noted.

Enhancing the employability of the Azoreans; promoting the quality of employment; and empowering the economy with qualified professionals are the three pillars on which the investment is based within a context of historically low unemployment, a rise in the employed population and a reduction in the number of unemployed enrolled in occupational programmes.

Maria João Carreiro added that the Government will create a measure to "promote corporate social responsibility and distinguish organisations that have best practices in terms of human resources," as well as the regional qualifications passport to stimulate an "ecosystem of qualified workers networked with companies."

"This Investment Plan contains the necessary measures to gradually respond to the needs and expectations of citizens with strong and integrated policies," the Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment said, emphasising that "the time for a single response to different challenges is over in the Region."