Training, awareness-raising activities, coaching sessions geared towards the labor market and job-shadowing initiatives were some of the activities carried out as part of the ‘Community School for Employability and Volunteering’ project, which is now coming to an end and which aimed to foster the development of personal, social and technical skills among young people and adults in Porto Santo. Promoted by AIDGLOBAL, in partnership with the Porto Santo Parish Council, and with the support of the Vinci Citizenship Program, the project began in 2022 and ran until 2024.
Customer service, social networks, excel, Canva, digital business, English, cutting and sewing, cybersecurity, child development and pediatric first aid were some of the topics covered in the 20 training sessions held, which involved around 300 participants, translating into 206 hours of awareness-raising.
“I've acquired a lot of skills and I feel more confident”, “It was a motivating training course” - these were some of the testimonies from the trainees on the “Cutting and sewing” course, one of the most popular and which was also marked by the socializing among the participants.
These courses led to the creation of 8 training guides which are available online on the project's website at
https://www.aidglobal.org/project/escola_comunitaria_empregabilidade_voluntariado/, with content that can be replicated in future courses. One of the guides developed - ‘Family Budget Management - Practical Guide’ - was printed and distributed to around 100 beneficiaries of social support.
The Job shadowing activity - accompanying a professional in their workplace - involved 10 participants who were present with professionals in a work context for at least 24 hours, spread over a few days. The activity took place at various organizations, such as the Rhea Dive School, the Nossa Senhora da Conceição School - Externato, the Casa do Voluntário Association and the Ilha Dourada Clinic.
The individual sessions to work on personal and social skills geared towards the labor market will continue in 2025.
Supported by ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal, the project had the active participation of Isabel Velosa, godmother of the initiative.
