Government of the Azores raises awareness of young people about the “opportunities and advantages” of the more than 40 courses on offer at Professional Schools – Communication

Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment

The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, announced today that a total of 48 new level IV professional courses (12th year and Professional Certification), four more than in the previous academic year and the largest offer ever, covering a total of 1,072 new students.

The new courses fall into around 20 professional areas, such as Tourism and Leisure; Hotels and restaurants; Green Economy and Blue Economy; Food Industries; Electronics and Automation; Health; Social Work and Guidance; Sport; or Accounting and Taxation, reflecting an adaptation to the needs of the region’s business sector and the interests of young people.

Maria João Carreiro was speaking at a press conference in Ponta Delgada, attended by the Regional Director of Professional Qualification and Employment, Renato Medeiros; the President of the Board of the Association of Professional Schools of the Azores (AEPA), Ana Paula Mendonça; and the Vice-President of the National Association of Professional Schools (ANESPO), Domingos Borges.

On the occasion, the governor expressed “confidence in the growing adherence of young Azoreans” to an education path that is “safe, necessary and with a lot of future”, which gives equivalence to the 12th year of Secondary Education and Professional Certification, remembering that the Region registers “for two consecutive years” there has been an increase in the number of new courses and new students in Professional Schools.

“Professional Education in Professional Schools is gaining increasing visibility in the Region”, he noted, to emphasize that “the offer of professional courses in Professional Schools is double the offer of courses in General Education Schools”, and since the academic year 22/23 there are 13 fewer courses in General Education Schools and nine more professional courses in Professional Schools.

Maria João Carreiro also announced that in May the “Your First Choice” campaign will begin, to raise awareness among young people about the professional courses on offer for the 2024/2027 training cycle, “encouraging young people to choose an education path that offers possibilities and advantages for a successful path”, including for young people who intend to enter Higher Education.

“Professional Education in Professional Schools offers all the conditions to be the First Choice of young Azoreans”, he stated, explaining that this communication campaign will have a “complementary logic” to the publicity that Professional Schools are already doing about their courses.

Welcoming the participation in the press conference by representatives of AEPA and ANESPO, the Regional Secretary responsible for Professional Qualification and Employment praised the “dialogue and cooperation” that the Government of the Azores maintains with the Professional Schools to “affirm the strategic importance of Professional Education in Professional Schools for the Region”.