The proportion of young people who do not work or study in the Azores has dropped to 15.1%.

The proportion of young people who are not studying, not working or attending vocational training courses (NEET) in the Azores fell from 17.5% to 15.1% in the first quarter of 2023, the regional government said on Wednesday.

“We are already seeing a decline in this rate of young NEETs. If in the first quarter of 2022 we had 17.5%, then at the moment we have 15.1%. This shows that these young people are integrating into the labor market,” Maria João Carreiro, Regional Secretary for Youth, Skills and Employment, said in a statement to journalists.

The Minister spoke in Angra do Heroismo, on the island of Terceira, on the sidelines of the opening of the international conference “Guidelines for the social inclusion of NEET youth”, organized by the NEET Rural Youth Network, which was attended by 50 researchers from various European countries. countries are participating.

The Azores is one of the regions of the country with the highest percentage of young people who do not study, work or attend vocational courses.

According to María João Carreiro, the employment policy pursued by the Azores Executive (PSD/CDS-PP/PPM) contributed to the reduction registered at the beginning of 2023, including the creation of the Directorate of Vocational and Vocational Guidance (GOVP), which covers all the municipalities of the region in cooperation with parish councils and private social solidarity institutions (IPSS).

“Since the beginning of the activities of the GOVP [no final de 2022], 4,693 young NEETs aged 18 to 34 were registered with the Oblast’s employment services. Of these, 15% (678 people) received job offers and 21% (993 people) were sent for training,” he stressed.

The number of young NEETs currently registered with employment services has dropped to 1,923, of which “673 have been registered for more than six months.”

“Of the 582 personal employment plans already implemented by PRTs with unemployed people with a low employment profile, 316 were NEET young people, of which 178 are already working, and the rest were directed, in addition to job offers, to internship programs. and training,” he said.

Maria João Carreiro said that the problem is spreading to all islands, although the incidence is higher in some municipalities.

“GOVP always has an individual employment plan for each of the young people, depending on where they work, their life project, family environment. This is an individual plan, so it motivates and encourages this young person to join the work. the market is easier,” he said.

For the employment portfolio owner, the decline in the number of young NEETs is primarily due to a greater focus on qualifications, but the Office of Career Guidance and Vocational Training has several areas of intervention.

“Many times we talk about people who have poor skills in terms of employability, but often also associated with low self-esteem, low motivation. We must consider every case. We are talking about young people with weak skills and low qualifications,” he stressed.