Bolsa de Empregabilidade's debut in Porto highlighted the region's qualified talent
Porto.
· 07 Apr 2022
The first edition of Bolsa de Empregabilidade in the North took place in Palácio da Bolsa and brought together over fifty companies. After six editions in Lisbon, the event - the biggest recruitment hub in tourism in Portugal - arrived in Porto to promote bringing qualified staff closer to companies and the labour market.
It was with a play on words that the participants were welcomed at the entrance of Bolsa de Empregabilidade: "Welcome to the world of oPORTOnities". The event held at the Palácio da Bolsa highlighted the qualified talent that exists in the region and is available for hiring by the tourism industry.
"The tourism sector has played, especially in the last decade, an important and even strategic role in the national and international affirmation of the city and its economic dynamics, particularly with regard to job creation, the rehabilitation of the building and also to leverage the city's trade," emphasized, in his speech, the Councillor for Economy, Employment and Entrepreneurship, Ricardo Valente.
In front of the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques, and in an event that was also attended by the councillor for Tourism and Internationalisation, Catarina Santos Cunha, the director of the Porto Trade Association, Jorge Macedo, the president of Forum Tourism Association, António Marto, and the consul of Ukraine, Alina Ponomarenko - special guest of the first edition of the Employability Fair in Porto - Ricardo Valente emphasized the contribution of tourism to the economy of the city and the country.
"In 2020, tourism employed 834,000 people indirectly in Portugal, equivalent to about 18% of total employment at national level. Directly, tourism contributes to about 6% of total employment in our country," highlighted the councillor, noting however that the tourism sector was "one of the most affected by the violence of the pandemic". "However, there are already signs of recovery, showing figures show that domestic tourists already exceed 2019 levels," he added.
Recalling that Porto was elected Best European Destination in 2017, repeating the achievements of 2014 and 2012, and Best European Destination for an Urban Getaway in 2020, Ricardo Valente regretted that there is a "significant labour shortage in the tourism sector".
Bolsa de Empregabilidade is therefore "an excellent response to the recruitment needs of these professionals and the importance of attracting and retaining talent in this area, in the city of Porto," pointed out the councillor, stressing that "Porto and the Metropolitan Area offer access to qualified talent through a vast network of entities that promote technical-vocational training in the area of tourism, as well as institutions that develop higher education in the field of tourism and hospitality."
In the framework of the situation in Ukraine, Bolsa de Empregabilidade promoted a programme of training opportunities for refugees - Open to Ukraine Training Programme, of Turismo de Portugal, counting with translation service for refugees and families coming from Ukraine.
