The President of the Government announced on Tuesday that the reinforcement of economic competitiveness, the improvement of the employability of the Azorean population and the monitoring of the unemployed are the three main axes of action of the Regional Government for job creation.

"We can overcome the most difficult time we live in," Vasco Cordeiro said, despite considering that 2013 seems to be a "particularly difficult year" in this area.

The President of the Government spoke at the delivery ceremony of diplomas and certificates to the trainees that have completed Level II and VI courses at APRODAZ Vocational Training School - Association for the Promotion of the Development of the Azores. Vasco Cordeiro added that the Government's action is based on three well-defined pillars; the first of which concerns the reinforcement of economic competitiveness in order to foster the creation of jobs and generation of wealth in the Azores.

"We cannot create jobs by decree, but we must create the conditions so that Azorean companies may have the capacity to create jobs by themselves," said Vasco Cordeiro.

The second pillar concerns the improvement of employability conditions, added the President of the Government, for whom the ceremony that took place at APRODAZ is a good example of that goal.

"This goal is achieved by ensuring the conditions to provide Azoreans with higher qualifications, increased knowledge and skills so that they may be able to overcome this challenge with better employability conditions," stressed the President of the Government.

According to Vasco Cordeiro, the third pillar concerns the monitoring of the unemployed through the creation of conditions to provide the unemployed with the opportunity to strengthen their skills and enhance their training.

"We should not be deluded about the situation we are facing. There are external constraints whose effects are being felt by all Azoreans," Vasco Cordeiro stressed, adding that 2013 will be a year to test the capacity, the will and commitment to overcome this challenge.

"This situation will not be overcome without sacrifices and, in many cases, without disappointment, but it is important to emphasise the will and the capacity of the Azorean people to overcome the most challenging situation we are facing," added the government official.

During the delivery ceremony, the President of the Government defended the "urgent need" to reinforce the link between education, vocational training and the business sector.
 
"We must consider the challenges brought by the European Union under the Agenda 2020 as ours, particularly the increased efforts to tackle early school dropout and the changes on social intervention strategies," concluded Vasco Cordeiro.

While implementing this strategy for job creation, the President of the Government also pointed the importance of vocational training schools and urged students to regard the Azorean Government as an entity that searches for solutions with the purpose of overcoming this challenge.