PO IES - Training voucher

Name of the instrument - Local language: PO IES - Cheque Formação
Name of the instrument - English translation: PO IES - Training voucher
Scheme ID: 291
Country: Portugal
Reporting year: 2020
Type of instrument: Grant for individuals
Sub-type of instrument: Lump-sum support
Type of entry: Single instrument

Short description: Both employed workers (aged 16 or over, regardless of their level of qualification, whose applications can be submitted by themselves or by the respective employers) and unemployed persons (enrolled in the PES at least at 90 consecutive days, aged 16 or over, with levels 3 to 6 of qualification) can access the grant. This grant is provided by IEFP (Institute of Employment and Training) and supports technical training, continuous training, and RVCC (professional recognition, validation, and certification of skills). Eligible types of training include technical training, continuous training, and RVCC (professional recognition, validation, and certification of skills). The co-funding for active employees is EUR 4/hour, with a maximum total amount of EUR 175, and for unemployed a maximum of EUR 500. The source of funding is European funds for the programming period 2014-2020. Eligible costs include travel and meal costs, as well as daily allowance for subsistence (for unemployed persons). There is no possibility of re-use, and no preferential treatment (more than the distinctions between employed and unemployed workers).

Level of operation

National

Name of a part of the country

Not applicable

Name of the region (for regional instruments)

Not applicable

Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)

Not applicable

Relevance

Further instrument

Legal basis

1) Decree n.º 229/2015, August 3 2) Specific regulation launched by IEFP, a public organisation for monitoring this instrument 3) Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º 33/2013, de 20 de maio - Diário da República, 1ª série - .º 96 - 20 maio de 2013, pp. 2972-2991 (Resolution of the Council of Ministers 33/2013, of the 20th of May - Portuguese official gazette 96/2013, Series 1 of 20/5/2013, pp. 2972-2991): It defines the assumptions of the Partnership Agreement to negotiate between the Portuguese State and the European Commission, establishing the main intervention areas of structural and investment European funds for 2014-2020. 4) Decisão de Execução da Comissão - Bruxelas, 5.12.2018 - C(2018) 8464 final (Executive decision of the European Commission - Bruxelas, 5.12.2018 -C(2018) 8464 final)

Objective(s) and target(s)

The Training voucher aims to reinforce the quality effectiveness of active employment measures, seeking, in particular, to: a) contribute to improving the productivity and competitiveness of companies, by strengthening the professional qualification of their workers, especially the least qualified; b) enhance the demand for training by the unemployed and the employed workers; c) encourage lifelong learning pathways, as well as the personal development of the employed and unemployed assets; d) make employers, active employees, and unemployed responsible for the search for training responses that promote the improvement of professional performances; e) enhance the adjustment between supply and demand for training, creating a new dynamic in training operators

Year of implementation

2015

Operation/management

Institute of Employment and Training - IEFP, I.P., is responsible for the execution and monitoring of the measure, as well as for the elaboration of the respective specific regulation, to be approved by the Board of Directors, within 60 days.

Eligible group(s)

Eligible groups are: - Employed active, aged 16 or over, regardless of their level of qualification, whose applications can be submitted by themselves or by the respective employers; - Unemployed persons enrolled in the IEFP at least at 90 consecutive days, aged 16 or over, with levels 3 to 6 of qualification.

Group(s) with preferential treatment

There are different treatments for each target group, but there is no special treatment

Education and training eligible

Technical Training, continuous training, and RVCC (professional recognition, validation, and certification of skills). The training to be supported must correspond to the defined in the Personal Qualification Plan (PPQ), obtained as a result of professional recognition, validation, and certification of skills (RVCC) process.

Source of financing and collection mechanism

The source of funding is European funds for the time period 2014-2020.

Financing formula and allocation mechanisms

The financial support to be granted in the scope of the Training Voucher, depends on the beneficiary: 1. Active employees: The support to be given, per worker, considers: - the maximum duration of 50 hours of training, over a two-year period; - a value/hour of EUR 4, in a maximum amount that can reach EUR 175, and the support to be granted cannot exceed 90% of the total value of the training action, proven to be paid. 2. Unemployed: The unemployed who attend training courses with a maximum duration of 150 hours of training, over two years, are entitled to financial support corresponding to the total value of the training action up to a maximum amount of EUR 500. Additionally, the following support may be provided: training scholarship, meal allowance, and contribution to transport expenses (provided that they are not covered by the entity trainer). This is in line with the provisions of Decree n. 60-A/2015, of 2 March.

Eligible costs

For unemployed persons, travel costs and meal costs or daily allowance for subsistence are considered as eligibile costs. The Training Voucher cannot be awarded when the training to be attended is already the object of public co-financing, nor can it be used by the beneficiaries to carry out the training required under other public support granted, namely, that required by the Measure Stimulus Employment, created by Administrative Rule no. 149-A / 2014, of 24 July.

Volumes of funding

The volumes of funding between 2015 and October 2019 amount to a total of EUR 27 368 354,14 (0 in 2015; EUR 3 367 340,42 in 2016; EUR 7 939 678,89 in 2017; EUR 10 115 915,40 in 2018; EUR 5 945 419,43 in 2019).

Beneficiaries/take up

In 2017: 72 628 beneficiaries; In 2018: 30 958 beneficiaries; In 2019: 40 706 beneficiaries

Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation

Institute of Employment and Professional Training, IEFP (public employment service)

Most relevant webpage - in English