The Secretary-General of Socialist Youth (JS) and Member of Parliament of the PS, Sofia Pereira, stated the main objectives of the proposed legislation introduced by the party to legally recognize these companies, as is already the case in France, due to their lack of legal status so far.
“We want these associated individuals to have access to a combination of both the status of working students and associative leaders, ensuring they can perform their roles with rights, availability, protection, and responsibility,” she explained.
The PS suggests establishing the student entrepreneur status, highlighting the significance of these enterprises.
“They are extremely important because they enable young people to realize their needs and aspirations and connect academic theory to real-world applications, thereby facilitating their entry into the job market,” Pereira noted.
According to Sofia Pereira, these companies are “not-for-profit but have social aims,” and the PS aims to ensure “the creation of a mechanism to give them more dignity, more opportunities,” and “a range of benefits and advantages to perform these roles effectively.”
The JS leader explained that students covered by the new status proposed by the PS would justify absences when representing these companies, could schedule exams at special times, and gain access to offices within their institutions to work on and develop their projects.
“Besides formally recognizing this activity, it significantly supports young innovation, as they are making considerable efforts in turning ideas into socially impactful projects without facing penalties, which is a protection they lacked until now,” she clarified.
When asked about the potential approval of this proposal in the current parliamentary situation, Sofia Pereira expressed a lack of optimism regarding the parties supporting the government aligning with youth interests, as they have not demonstrated such support since the beginning of the legislature.
“Perhaps this time they could align with the principles advocating for more rights and resources for young people in these positions,” she remarked.
