The Regional Director for Youth highlighted the growing participation of teachers in the project "Entrepreneurial Education: The Path to Success." Since its first edition, the number of teachers involved has grown from 53 to 108, which "demonstrates their sharp interest in instilling a creative and entrepreneurial spirit in students.”

Speaking at the opening session of the sixth edition of this programme, Pilar Damião stressed the fact that the European Commission highlighted, last year, the need to include entrepreneurship in various level of educations, which has been happening in the Azores "since 2010."

According to Pilar Damião, this initiative demonstrates that "Entrepreneurial Education, in addition to being a driving force that is able to instil in youngsters an attitude of persistence, confidence, innovation and creativity. It has become a key tool in the development of shrewd generations that are better able to adapt themselves to new patterns in terms of the labour market and the knowledge society."

In turn, the Regional Director for Education, who also attended the meeting, stressed the importance of the project, considering that it "enables the development of very important skills for the youngsters of the 21st century as well as for the development of our society."

  According to Fabíola Cardoso, the entrepreneurial that spirit this initiative aims to instil in young people "goes beyond the development of a business idea," stressing that "it intends, above all, to develop non-cognitive skills such as critical thinking, initiative capacity, autonomy, persistence, creativity, innovation as well as the knowledge on how to present and defend ideas and work together."

The Regional Director for Education added that this project "must continue to encompass the necessary partnerships for its implementation because, as one knows, it is only possible to achieve good results in education with persistence and stability."

"Entrepreneurial Education: The Path to Success" is an initiative developed by the Azorean Government, through the Regional Directorates for Youth and Education, in collaboration with the Society for the Business Development of the Azores (SDEA).

The sixth edition of this initiative includes the participation of 108 teachers and will be held in 48 schools of eight islands of the archipelago. Currently, it involves about 2,700 students.

This year, the programme, in addition to covering another five schools, 24 teachers and 200 students compared to the previous year, also enhances the training package of vocational training and secondary education with information sessions on regional incentive programmes for the promotion of entrepreneurship, such as COMPETIR+.
 
The training course for basic education (middle and junior high school), vocational training and secondary school teachers, which began today, takes place until September 18 in Ponta Delgada. It is intended to enhance the knowledge of teachers of teachers on this area.

The training course features a lecture delivered by young entrepreneur André Leonardo who, inspired by the entrepreneurship of Fernão de Magalhães, started a "social expedition" in the end of 2013 that went around the world in order to inspire people to turn ideas into action.

André Leonardo, who participates under the "Faz Acontecer Açores" project, will deliver lectures in schools of the eight islands that make up this year's edition.

The training course for elementary school teachers that took place on the islands of São Miguel and Pico on September 8-10 was addressed at teachers who are participating for the first time in the programme "Entrepreneurial Education: The Path to Success."

The programme aims to raise the awareness of Azorean teachers and students for the entrepreneurial potential and the possibility of controlling their future, which will allow them to create their own jobs. This will actively contribute to the revitalisation of employment policies and the generation of wealth in the Region.