Portugal: Promoting youth employability among the most vulnerable

The transition of young people into the labour market remains a structural challenge in Portugal and in the European Union. According to the Eurostat Social Scoreboard, around 11% of young Europeans aged 15 to 29 were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025. In Portugal, the share is lower at 8%, but significant inequalities persist, particularly among young people from more disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

In this context, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation launched the ‘Gulbenkian Empregar’ initiative in 2025. It supports projects that improve qualifications and employability among vulnerable young people in the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto, the Algarve Region and the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Target groups and support

The programme aims to promote the sustainable integration into the labour market of more than a thousand young people aged between 16 and 34, with a particular focus on:

• young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET);
• unemployed young people ;
• those in precarious, low-skilled or low-paid jobs.

Projects are run by consortia of public or private non-profit organisations based in Portugal. They focus on skills development, employability and labour-market integration. Financial support covers up to 60% of the total budget, with a maximum of EUR 100 000 per project.

Recognising innovative projects

Following a competitive selection procedure, 14 projects were selected, each lasting 12 to 18 months. The projects were due to start from November 2025, and they stand out for their innovative approaches, including personalised support, mentoring, dual learning models and local employability networks.

The projects demonstrated a multidimensional approach, combining basic, social and technical skills with reskilling, internships, career guidance and support for labour-market integration. This includes assistance with administrative procedures, promoting self-employment and strengthening local employment networks.

’Gulbenkian Empregar’ also aims to test and validate methods that could inform future public policies on youth skills, employment and inclusion. Cooperation with the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training aims to support and strengthen the dissemination of effective practices and increase the initiative’s impact at national level.

Examples of supported projects

Some of the supported projects are highlighted below:

• Empregar+, which combines non-formal education with networking across four pillars: capacity building, career guidance, labour market access and community engagement.
• EDUCA+, which supports young NEETs through personalised training, mentoring and workplace experiences, integrated into a municipal inclusion programme.
• SKILLAB – Laboratório de Competências para o Futuro, which develops technical, creative and social skills and culminates in the creation of a creative portfolio.
• Academia de Rua @ Lagos, which uses mentoring and community capacity-building to support pathways into education, employment and self-employment.
• Re-skill, which promotes reskilling, entrepreneurship and socio-professional inclusion for young people from the Hindustani community.

About the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is a Portuguese private institution that supports education, social inclusion and sustainable development. It funds initiatives that address inequalities and improve access to opportunities, including employability for disadvantaged groups.

Read more:

• Gulbenkian Empregar – Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
• Supported projects
• FCG_Regulamento_Empregar_7.pdf
• Eurostat Social Scoreboard