A professional training course in Madeira Embroidery is now underway at the Madeira Wine, Embroidery and Crafts Institute (IVBAM), certified by the company "Competir Madeira - Formação & Serviços".

According to a press release, "15 trainees are participating in this course, all of whom are unemployed. This provides them with a valuable opportunity to acquire new skills in an area of ​​recognized importance to the social, cultural, and historical landscape of the Autonomous Region of Madeira."

Furthermore, the same release adds, "this initiative represents a commitment to strengthening new talent for this sector, which has been experiencing a shortage of skilled workers, with the aim of ensuring they can enter the job market in the short term."

With a total of 325 hours, this training will continue until March 2026, a timeframe that already includes a professional internship, which will be developed at Madeira embroidery companies, thus promoting practical training in a work context.

This training, "is being led by a group of five trainers, including Rubina Franco, a Designer at IVBAM, responsible for teaching theoretical content in the area of ​​Madeira Embroidery, and three embroiderers: Ana Lemos, Ana Luísa Santos and Maria Firmina Abreu, for the practical component."

Furthermore,  "the theoretical framework will cover topics such as the history, production process, stitches, and raw materials permitted in Madeira Embroidery, as well as its conservation methods and related legislation."

The training component is supported by specific documentation, such as a kit containing Madeira Embroidery designs printed on linen and organdy, thread, needles, and thimbles," he continues.

He also reveals that "the course is being taught during business hours, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., at the IVBAM headquarters, at Rua do Visconde de Anadia, 44, Funchal, and, because it is funded by the M2023 – ESF, allows trainees to receive a training grant of up to 500 euros per month."

For IVBAM, as the organization responsible for safeguarding and promoting Madeira Embroidery, "this initiative is in line with its commitment to this end, seeking ways to bring Madeira Embroidery closer to civil society, serving as a vehicle for promoting training and capacity building, so that this art and its legacy endure."