The first phase of the 2014 edition of the programmes "Estagiar L" and "Estagiar T," promoted by the Government of the Azores, started on October 1 with 803 trainees, 355 of whom hold a bachelor degree or a master's degree and 448 hold a vocational training diploma, revealed the Vice-President of the Government.

Speaking on the sidelines of a visit to "Quinta dos Açores" on the island of Terceira, which employs six trainees, Sérgio Ávila stressed that this programme "represents an investment over 5.4 million Euros that provides a one year traineeship on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira and a two-year traineeship on the remaining islands."

For the Vice-President, this is "a measure that has contributed to the integration of youngsters who have recently completed their training into the labour market."

The 355 graduates have began their traineeships several areas, including Management and Administration, Education Sciences, Social Sciences and Health, while the traineeships for vocational training graduates cover the areas of Computers, Electronics, Accounting and Taxation, Electricity, Management and Administration.

The Vice-President of the Government stressed the fact that "91 percent of the 803 trainees are working in non-public companies, that is, companies, non-profit entities and associations."

"Assuring the professional path of youngsters in companies after their traineeships is even more important than the beginning of their integration into the labour market," said the Vice-President. In this context, the government official added that the Government created "the professional integration programme of trainees - PIIE - which ensures the maintenance of a financial support companies and entities that hire trainees."

According to Sérgio Ávila, this programme "has already secured work contracts to 714 youngsters, after the completion of the traineeship, in the companies where they worked or in others that are also benefiting from this programme."

The Vice-President of the Government reminded that under the terms of the PIIE programme, created under the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Competitiveness, companies that hire trainees will be supported through the payment, up to 75 percent, of the wages of the new workers for a certain period of time.