The applications for the 2nd edition of the Integrate for Tourism Programme are open until 30 April. This initiative aims at fostering immigrants’ and international protection recipients’ qualification and professional integration.

The programme, developed by the Portuguese Tourism Board together with the Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency (AIMA), the Portuguese Tourism Confederation, and the Employment and Vocational Training Institute (IEFP) combines technical training, Portuguese language learning, and on-the-job training in tourism sector companies.

It is scheduled to start in the upcoming months and follows an integrated path including:

• initial classroom training with a technical component, Portuguese language and culture classes, as well as soft skills adapted to the national context

• Practical training in sector companies

• monitoring throughout the course with a focus on employability and professional stability.

The programme is aimed at foreign citizens who are legal in Portugal and aims at boosting competences, making access to employment easier and responding the recruitment needs in the tourism sector.

AIMA takes on a central role in the implementation and is in charge of identifying, selecting and monitoring the participants, with a special focus on preventing people from dropping out and promoting stable and long-lasting professional paths.

The Deputy Minister for the Presidency and Immigration Rui Armindo Freitas noted that "integration begins with papers but that is not where it ends. That is just the start of a partnership between the State and those who pick Portugal", stressing that "capacity building is the next step, one that is essential for integration with autonomy, employment, and a future." He further added that these programmes "are proof that it is worthwhile implementing public policies" when they combine economic growth with social cohesion.

The new edition offers continuity to a model that articulates integration policies with the economy’s needs, fostering an approach based on clear rules, responsibility and valuing labour.

The applications must be made online and the information is available on the Portuguese Tourism Board website.