Marina Barbosa, from the PS, asked Jorge Carvalho, now that the management of the Professional School of Hospitality and Tourism comes under governmental control, if there will be job opportunities in Madeira/Porto Santo for young people trained at the educational establishment, or will they, as now, emigrate.
In his reply, Jorge Carvalho stated that employability in the areas related to hotels and restaurants is at 100%, and there is even a lack of manpower. “We will qualify young people who, by choice, understand that this is their chosen profession as well as provide further training and qualifications for those already working in the industry, who want to update and improve their knowledge. This, he said, will drive us in the pursuit of excellence.
Paulo Alves, from JPP, recalled “the 13-year soap opera” around the hotel school, with controversies in previous years because of its private management.
Paulo Alves said that he agrees with the government intervention, but says that it comes too late. The government should have intervened in 2017 or 2018,” when the commission of inquiry into the management of the school, which had about 200,000 euros of rent arrears, among other defaults, recommended a different solution from the management concession.
In reaction to the parties’ concerns about the diploma that hands over the management of the hotel School to the public sector, the Regional Secretary of Education assured everyone present that foreign students who chose Madeira to do their training “are not cheap labour.”
Responding to socialist Olga Fernandes, who considered that these young people have been forced to work without proper remuneration. The secretary said that the approximately two hundred foreign students who are in Madeira with a visa to study will undergo work experience, but are not, he reiterated, being used as cheap labour.
As for the poor conditions denounced by students from São Tomé and Principe attending the hotel school, in terms of accommodation and hours of training and work outside school hours, Jorge Carvalho said that the situation has been clarified.
Earlier, Jorge Carvalho acknowledged that the non-compliance of the CELFF in the management of the school was ineffective, as noted in the non-payment of rent. Still, the concession had been promised a certain number of students and classes. “The school is running and has done since the concession took over on about half of the students needed,” this he said, was part of the problem as the school was earning less revenue but still having to pay for the full running costs of the establishment.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
