10 thousand people attended OPTO – Education and Training Forum in Albufeira

The Albufeira Sports Pavilion was once again the chosen venue to host another edition of OPTO – Algarve Education and Training Forum, between the 7th and 9th of May, attended by around 10 thousand people, including primary and secondary school students, teachers and guardians.

At a time when thousands of young people are faced with the need to choose which path they will follow in the coming years, OPTO's main objective is to make students aware of the wide range of choices available to them.

To this end, the space welcomed students from several schools in the municipality, as well as from other municipalities in the Algarve and Alentejo regions.

In the 11th edition of the event, the venue received more than 70 entities from different areas, from Secondary and Professional Education and Higher Education, also covering Languages, Mobility and Study Abroad, and many other sectors of activity.

The participating entities were able to showcase their work on dozens of stands set up in the venue, and clarify any doubts students might have as they passed by.

At the end of another edition of OPTO, José Carlos Rolo, Mayor of Albufeira , highlighted the “enormous contribution that events like this make to young people”.

The mayor made a positive assessment of the 11th edition, and recalled that “the investment that the municipality has made in Education also involves activities that complement the valuable work that is carried out in the classroom context”.

Over the course of the three days of the event, the venue hosted over 100 parallel activities. In addition to several cooking and cocktail-making demonstrations, OPTO hosted several musical and other artistic performances.

In the outdoor space, the highlight was the canine and cavalry demonstrations carried out by the National Republican Guard (GNR), as well as the now customary climbing wall set up by members of the Army.

Shortly after opening its doors on the first day, the space received a visit from a delegation made up of members of the municipal executive, as well as the organizing entities.

It was there that the vice-president and councillor responsible for youth and entrepreneurship, Cristiano Cabrita, highlighted the importance of “continuing to invest in initiatives aimed at young people, seeking to empower the new generations for the challenges of the future”.

In addition to the dozens of activities that took place during the three days of the event, OPTO also featured a performance by rapper Don Lui, who closed the first day's program.

The musician from Albufeira was the official ambassador of the event, and also visited several schools in the municipality in the weeks leading up to it.

The OPTO – Algarve Education and Training Forum was organized by Albufeira City Council, together with the Algarve Regional Services Directorate of the Directorate-General for School Establishments and the Institute of Employment and Vocational Training ( IEFP ).

Photos: Rui Gregório / Albufeira City Council.