The Regional Assistant Secretary of the Presidency for Parliamentary Affairs presented to the Azores Youth Council the programmes, measures and strategic guidelines of the Plan and Budget for 2016 in the area of youth.

Isabel Rodrigues stressed that the Region provides an allocation of 2 million and 676 thousand Euros in the Investment Plan for 2016, representing an increase of about 13% "for interventions especially dedicated to supporting youth associations, youth mobility, creative projection, infrastructures and activities for young people."

The Government of the Azores provides young people with a series of stable programmes that are intended to support various kinds of activities. In this regard, Isabel Rodrigues emphasised "the care with the options that have been taken in order to avoid undermining this stability."

"There are some variations in the actual allocation for each area insofar as those that are more sought-after by more young people will benefit from a increase in funding. In turn, we have managed to reduce the investment made by the Regional Directorate for Youth with the establishment of partnerships," said the government official.

The Regional Secretary said the Government of the Azores wants to strengthen youth associations and entrepreneurship in the Region "as a strategy to reinforce social cohesion, professional retraining and the adoption of measures to enhance the employability of young people."

Isabel Rodrigues also announced that the Azorean Government will promote youth mobility. In addition to focusing on the regional, national and international dimension of Bento de Góis programme, it will maintain the same structure of the Interjovem card.

The purpose is to continue the success we have achieved this year with the creation of the new card model and the significant fee reduction in one of the age groups.

At this meeting, the government official also stressed that the Government will organise a Regional Meeting of Youth Associations next year and will continue to promote the project "Entrepreneurial Education: The Path to Success!"

This programme has already involved more than 10 thousand students from all over the archipelago and the sixth edition will involve the participation of 3,500 students from 50 schools on the nine islands of the archipelago. The initiative is aimed at all school levels.

In 2016, the Regional Government also intends to expand the promotion of Youth Free Time Occupation programmes.

In addition to continuing the "Entra em Campo" and Free Time Occupation - OTLJ Programmes under the Summer Camps Project, the Regional Director for Youth will promote initiatives aimed at young people who live in geographically isolated areas.