The European Year of Skills (EYS) has prompted various initiatives in Portugal to increase awareness of the importance of vocational education and training (VET) for employment, competitiveness, growth, and social inclusion. Policy decision-makers, education and training operators, public bodies, research centres, universities and citizens have been invited to participate actively in the initiative at national, regional and local levels.
A selection of initiatives
Portugal is developing multiple initiatives during the EYS, until May 2024. The following examples showcase the diversity of the organisations involved, and the nature of their initiatives. They all have a common denominator: equipping citizens with the necessary skills to meet employment and social inclusion challenges.
The Wave of Innovation project aims to foster innovation in the maritime sector by upskilling and reskilling its professionals, with the participation of FOR-MAR from Portugal, and Simsea from Norway. One of the project’s outcomes is the creation of three training courses to be integrated into the training of maritime professionals. On 16 November, the consortium held the project's final event in Lisbon, attended by policy decision-makers, companies and professionals of the maritime sector and training. The participants had an opportunity to learn about the training offer for developing blue, digital and communication skills provided by the project.
The conference ‘Past trajectories, future paths – The place of people in the digital era’ was organised on 7 November in Porto, in partnership with the Institute for Employment and Professional Training and the Pessoas thematic programme. The event brought together high-level policy decision-makers from national and European contexts, relevant figures from the field of competences, employers and union representatives, and academics to discuss ideas, opinions and experiences, including presentations on the European Year of Skills. The event had around 156 attendees in person and more than 6 000 viewers on Facebook and YouTube. Students from the professional Jazz course offered musical performances, and cookery and pastry students were in charge of catering.
The ‘Technical-scientific seminar: Professional training – Awakening talents’ was promoted by Casa Pia de Lisboa, a public institute whose mission is to ensure the education, training and foster care of children and young people, particularly those in socially vulnerable situations. This event intended to facilitate the exchange of information between experts and promote the good practices established at Casa Pia de Lisboa. The event took an analytical approach to professional training skills to meet the current challenges in a European and national context, including job market insertion. It also allowed students and former students who attended the institution's training courses to share their experiences. About 120 teachers, trainers and those responsible for the education sector of municipal councils from the Lisbon metropolitan area attended the seminar.
The webinar ‘Contributions of education and training to the inclusion of people with disabilities’, promoted by the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional) and planned for early December, is addressed at training centre managers, trainers and other members of training teams. The event focuses on the benefits of professional training for integrating people with disabilities into the labour market, leading to social inclusion, economic autonomy and personal fulfilment.
Read more
- Pessoas 2030 thematic programme
- Wave project
- Wave of Innovation courses
- Wave of Innovation final event
- Conference Past trajectories, future paths – The place of people in the digital era
- Technical-scientific seminar: Professional training – Awakening talents
| Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Portugal; Cedefop (2023). Portugal: today's VET with an eye on the future. National news on VET |