The Regional Government has decided to make amendments to the Professional Integration Programme of "Estagiar L" and "Estagiar T" (PIIE) programmes to allow employers to hire trainees that have undertaken traineeships at other entities or at regional and local administration services.

Nevertheless, the decision taken by the Council of the Government that met in Santa Cruz da Graciosa requires that the hiring takes place after the completion of the traineeship programme and the position should be in the area where the trainee has undertaken the traineeship.

According to the press release of the meeting of the Council of the Government, "this change aims to provide companies with more opportunities to hire trainees and boost their employability." Furthermore, it was also decided "to extend the deadline for submission of applications by entities wishing to hire trainees to May 31."

The Government also decided to set at 5.9 million Euros the global limit of the financial support to allocate for contract-programmes that will be signed this year with non-profit organisations for the implementation of projects of public interest in the promotion of the Azores destination or the different tourism products in national and international markets.

This decision also comprises the contract-programmes to be signed with the entities whose activities are focused on the study, monitoring and tracking of tourism activities in the Azores as well as with the entities that promote the creation of a structured offer in terms of tourist animation activities or the qualification of the tourism offer.

"The application period takes place within 30 days after the publication of this resolution," states the press release.

At this meeting, the Regional Government also decided to recognise bullfighting on rope that takes place during the "Império de S. Pedro" (Holy Spirit) festivities as a tradition. This event is held in mid-September in the hamlet of Amoreiras in the village of Santa Cruz, municipality of Praia da Vitória.

The qualification of geological formations crossed by the CL4-A geothermal well, located in the municipality of Ribeira Grande, as a geothermal resource was another decision taken by the Regional Government.