During 2010 the Professional Enhancement and Business Qualification Programmes comprised 127 workers, whose employment contracts had been suspended, and another five applications involving 28 workers have already been registered under these programmes this year.

The Business Qualification and Professional Enhancement programmes, developed by the Azorean Government, are addressed at business and workers from the Tourism sector, particularly in the areas of accommodation, catering and recreational activities, whose seasonal nature causes a breakdown that might jeopardise the normal operation of the labour market as well as of the economy.

These programmes, which were specifically created to tackle the negative repercussions in the labour market, generated by low economic activity, aim to create the necessary conditions so that workers may improve their professional status, their employability as well as the quality of the Azorean business sector through the dissemination of good business practices, the organisation of professional training courses for companies and the implementation of specific training programmes.

During the training period under these programmes, 70 percent of the income of the workers covered by this project will be assured by the Social Security and the remainder by the respective employer.

Furthermore, in the context of the qualification of active workers, the Pro-Emprego programme has also approved 1573 courses involving the participation of 18,583 workers.