The Autonomous Region of the Azores and its Regional Directorate on Youth will hold the 2nd AER Peer Review on youth employment, organised in the framework of the 12-month Promoting Youth Employment (PYE) project: 4 international experts will be taking part in study visits, interviews and presentations in order to create a tailor-made list of recommendations. Outcomes of this analysis will lead to Azores' Regional Action Plan where specific policy recommendations will be set out to improve young people’s access to jobs in the region.
Overall information
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of 9 islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean; it is located about 1,500 km west from Lisbon and about 3,900 km east from the east coast of North America. The main economic activities of the archipelago are: agriculture and fishing sectors, geothermal energy and the tertiary sector.
Why PYE?
According to the most recent data available (June 2011), the youth unemployment rate in the Azores is nearly 3 times as high as the region's overall unemployment rate (28,9% against 9,7%). 90% of the unemployed youth succeed at finding a job in less than 12 months.
Due to the islands' remote location, the region experiences high migration rates of young people to the U.S., which results from the lack of employment opportunities and weak association of young people with the European values. With 31,4% of the population aged 15-34, the Azores recognise an urgent need to improve young people's prospects on the labour market as well as to start a dialogue about the importance of “employment policies” in the EU context.
Through its involvement in PYE, the Azores would like to improve the situation of geographically disadvantaged young people from remote islands experiencing higher level of deprivation and fewer opportunities. Target groups: young people with no, or low qualifications and young graduates seeking work aged 15-30.
Interviewed stakeholders will include representatives from the Regional Directorate: Employment, Vocational Training and Consumer Protection; Support of Investment and Competitiveness; Youth; Educationt; the University of Azores; the Regional Youth Council; the Regional Chamber of Commerce.
International experts
Francis PYKE, Freelance researcher (UK)
Goran VUKMANIĆ, Croatian Employment Service, Regional Office in Krapina Zagorje (HR)
Débora PAVÃO, Regional Directorate of Youth in the Açores (P)
Vesna KAMENAROVIĆ, Provincial Secretariat for Labour, Employment and Gender Equality, Vojvodina (SRB)
Jude ROBINSON, Learning Team, Children’s Services Department, Hampshire County Council (UK)
The Region of Azores holds the Secretariat and Presidency of the AER Eurodyssey, Europe's oldest traineeship exchange programme.
According to the Flashbarometer on Youth carried out by the EC in early 2011:
- 81,5% of Portugal's youth aged 15-30 finds vocational training in Portugal an attractive option!
- For 62%, vocational training remains the best way to improve their job opportunities.
- Yet only 13,4% of the young Portuguese declare to have stayed abroad for education or training purposes or are currently abroad.
PYE is co-financed by the PROGRESS Programme, the EU's employment and social solidarity programme. For more information about PROGRESS, click HERE.
For any assistance or for further information on the PYE project, please do not hesitate to contact:
Justyna Hejman : j.hejman(at)aer.eu; tel/fax: +33 388 22 74 46
Press release (EN, F, PT) [Read +]
Photo gallery: click HERE to access photos from the interviews and study visits.
Good practice example: Watch the video on the Employment Cradle programme, developed by the Azores to ensure equal chances of the young employees on maternity leave.
Employment Cradle video
Agenda
Regional Employment Plan by R. Bettencourt, Regional Director for Employment, Vocational Training and Consumer Protection
The Azores in PYE by J. Hejman, AER
Regional Internship Programme by A. Melo, Regional Directorate for Employment
Pogramme for the Maintenance of Jobs and Social Employment Market by V. Soares, Regional Directorate for Employment
PROSA: Social Programme for the Occupation of Adults by P. Andrade, Regional Directorate for Employment
Leonardo da Vinci Programme by C. Pires, Regional Directorate for Employment
EURES by C. Pires, Regional Directorate for Employment
Eurodyssey Programme by D. Carvalho, Regional Directorate for Employment
Rede Valorizar: programme for recognizing and certifying academic qualifications and professional experiences by A. Meirelles
Centre for Entrepreneurship by J. Crispim, University of Azores
Entrepreneurial Education by D. Pavão, Regional Directorate for Youth
Science and Technology: Qualifying young researchers by J. Azevedo, Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures
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