The programme FormAlgarve was devised by the Government in late 2016 with the aim of combating unemployment during the Algarve’s low season and ensuring more stable contractual relations.
It has recently emerged that over €750,000 was spent on the programme, to train 232 people.
But Elidérico Viegas, president of the Algarve Association of Hotels and Tourist Enterprises (AHETA), said that during its first year of its implementation, only 54 companies and 232 employees were supported through the programme.
“It is a total failure”, he criticised, quoted by newspaper Correio da Manhã.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, of the workers supported, “184 have seen their fixed-term contracts converted into permanent contracts, and 48 have seen their fixed-term contract renewed for at least 12 months”.
A total of €771,000 was provided to the companies that joined the programme to bolster the employment and qualification of their workers, 78 percent of which was allocated to the tourism sector, according to the Government, in a written response to questions put by MP Paulo Sá (PCP).
“This programme is out of touch with the reality of the Algarve: it should cover close to three thousand workers and it covers less than 300, some of them already enrolled in the Job Centre”, said Elidérico Viegas, adding that “the idea is good, but the creation of a sustainable strategy is still needed”.
The head of AHETA says the programme requires that companies have to “keep employees in exchange for two to three months of training” arguing that what would make more sense would be for workers to have “three low seasons’” training.