The Regional Director for Youth, Pilar Damião, stressed on Friday the importance and interest to Region in maintaining the project "Educação Empreendedora: O Caminho do Sucesso" (Entrepreneurial Education: The Path to Success). Being developed in partnership with several public and private entities, this initiative will be in its fourth edition this school year.

In addition to "being a driving force capable of moving the factors of competitiveness associated with innovation, technology, quality, marketing, information and organisation, this project has become a key tool for wealth generation and promotion of development," said Pilar Damião.

As the Regional Director for Youth specified, this initiative falls within the regional plan for the promotion of entrepreneurship and is "a strategic intervention" in the area of education for entrepreneurship.

Pilar Damião spoke at the opening session of the first edition of the programme that was held in Ponta Delgada on Friday. The government official stressed that the pilot project, initially expected to last three school years, was a "huge success," involving nearly 5,200 youngsters. Given the large adherence of students, it was decided to extend the duration of this programme.

Targeted at middle school and junior higher school students, the programme "Educação Empreendedora: O Caminho do Sucesso" (Entrepreneurial Education: The Path to Success) is an initiative promoted by the Regional Government, through the Regional Directorates for Youth and Education, in partnership with the University of the Azores, through the Entrepreneurship Centre of the University of the Azores and the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation. This initiative also counts with the collaboration of the Society for the Society for the Business Development of the Azores (SDEA).

The programme covers all islands of the archipelago and is intended to instil among students the entrepreneurial spirit and initiative as well as to develop cooperation and competitiveness, through a learning-by-doing methodology and the management of mini-projects.