The Vice-President of the Government stated in Praia da Vitória that the challenge of vocational training in the Azores concerns the qualification and retraining of human resources at the "necessary pace" to respond to new needs of the labour market as well as to the intentions of domestic and foreign private investment in the Region.
 
"The training pace has to be adjusted to market demands and it is not just the market that should be adjusted to the training pace," stated Sérgio Ávila, who spoke at the closing session of 21st Regional Occupations Championship - Azores Skills.
 
The Vice-President for Employment, Vocational Training and Business Competitiveness highlighted that, in this regard, the Region must "have the capacity to provide more flexible and faster responses, according to the needs of the market."
 
"We have been able to find and attract various investments in the Azores in areas that require human resources with specific qualifications and the response we have to provide to all entities - vocational training schools and public entities - is just one: if we do not have, we make sure to get it! We provide training in due time," said the government official.
 
From a lack of demand in many areas, the current situation is the opposite, Sérgio Ávila stressed, mentioning the areas of information technology, industrial specialties and construction, among others.
 
Sérgio Ávila also highlighted the benefit of the Region with regard to vocational training quality, which is evidenced by the distinctions awarded and by the high levels of employability.
 
"Either in terms of training or in terms of professional quality, this regional event not only selects the best of the Region, but also the best of the country," the government official said, pointing out the example of the last national championship.
 
The Vice-President emphasised that, of the 14 Azoreans who won the regional competitions, half were also national champions.
 
"We are, most likely, choosing the best in the country because vocational training in the Azores has proved that it is, without doubt, the best in the country in terms of concrete results," stressed the government official. According to him, this reality represents "the merit of those provide training and the merit of those who receive training."
 
"It also evidences the investment made by the Region" in vocational training, Sérgio Ávila said, revealing that the Government invested 61 million Euros that allowed the training of 2,840 Azoreans in the last four years.
 
"This is undoubtedly significant due to the strong investment made in vocational training in the Azores and, more important than quantity, it has to do with quality," said Sérgio Ávila.
 
For the Vice-President, if there are any doubts in this matter, "the national results show that vocational training in the Azores is a reference."
 
In the national championships, the Azores have been the Region with the highest percentage of medals regarding the number of competitors since 2004.
 
In the last national championship, held in the city of Coimbra in 2016, all Azorean competitors were distinguished with medals.