Description
Country
Description of the initiative
The vocational courses are work-linked initial vocational education and training (VET) courses provided in schools of secondary education, targeting young people
Focus area
The vocational courses have three main goals: to contribute to the development of young people's personal and professional skills; to develop training offers related to the local and regional labour market needs and; to enable the students to continue to post-secondary education or higher education. It confers a double certification (secondary and professional) awarding at EQF level 4. The vocational courses initiative is a secondary level education programme characterized by a strong connection with the professional world. Being in close cooperation with the local business sector, it takes into account the students' profile by focusing the learning process on the development of competencies for a specific profession.
Link
Reference/weblink
Implementation level
At what level is the initiative implemented?
National
Legal base
Legal base (E.g. Law, regulation, implementing provision, other)
Ministerial order
Starting period
TIMESPAN: In what year did the initiative commence?
1989 - present
Perspective
PERSPECTIVE: is the initiative based on evidence derived from skill forecasts or foresight activities?
The LMSI tool used is the Qualification Needs Anticipation System (SANQ), which aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of skills supply and demand. It uses statistical information on labour market retrospective dynamics (last 5 years) and anticipation of skills needs. The system entails an employer survey on recruitment intentions and skills needs and proceeds to a qualitative analysis of skills demand. The SANQ has a direct impact on the provision of vocational education and training in the public and private schools/training centres. Grounded on the criteria and priorities produced by the SANQ, the institutional VET actors define the training offer that includes the vocational courses.
Policy area
To which POLICY AREAS(s) does the initiative apply?
Funding
How it is funded?
Funded by national government
Funded by the EU
The professional courses are financed by European funds (through the ESF) and the national state budget
Skill mismatch
Skill mismatch target
What type(s) of skills MISMATCH does the initiative aim to addresses?
Skill shortages (employers cannot fill their vacancies due to a lack of skills in the labour market)
Skills matching focus
How does the initiative address skills mismatches?
The planning of the Portuguese VET network is carried out according to the Qualification Needs Anticipation System (SANQ), which through a strong connection with the professional world and its demand it provides young people relevant skills for a smoother Labour Market transition.
The planning of the Vocational Courses networking is done according to the Qualification Needs Anticipation System (SANQ) directives which in turn are strongly leveraged by the Portuguese labour market's specific sectoral and occupational skills needs and shortages.
Methods
Methods
What methods of undertaking skills assessments and / or skills anticipation does the policy instrument utilise?
Other
The LMSI tool used is the Qualification Needs Anticipation System (SANQ), which aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of skills supply and demand - quantitative analysis uses statistical information on labour market retrospective dynamics (last 5 years) and an employer survey on recruitment intentions and skills needs; and qualitative analysis of skills demand. The VET actors define the training offer, including the vocational courses, based on SANQ criteria and priorities.
Use of skills intelligence
How is labour market information / skills intelligence used within the initiative?
Please select the most important options and explain how the labour market information (LMI) has been used (maximum 50 words)
The LMI is used to either design new occupational standards and accreditation or to update existing ones, which in turn are operationalised through strategic VET network planning. The Vocational Courses are the outcome of LMI information.
The LMI is used to inform decisions on VET planning, where the Vocational Courses provision is included.
Stakeholders
Main responsible body
Main body or organisation with overall responsibility for the initiative.
National agency
Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education (ANQEP)
Other involved organisations
Which other organisations have a role in the initiative?
National ministry
Regional ministry
Training Providers
Beneficiaries
Who are the intended beneficiaries?
Other
Young people under the age of 20, who have completed the 9th grade or equivalent education. The programme is intended to provide beneficiaries with more practical teaching (on-the-job training), oriented to labour market integration after completion or to continue their studies to post-secondary or higher education.
Sustainability
Success factors
SUCCESS FACTORS in the implementation
The professional schools have a curriculum with modular organisation, unlike generalist education. The professional schools have an education model that is successful in the involvement of students within the learning process, increasing educational attainment and levels of qualification. The diversification of educational actors involved in professional schools allowed for higher visibility of VET and involvement of actors with influence in the local labour markets.
Monitoring and evaluation
MONITORING and EVALUATION: Is progress measured regularly? What are the indicators used to measure progress of the policy instrument? Have any evaluations been conducted?
ANQEP ensures the monitoring, evaluation and regulation of the provision of vocational education and training of dual certification. An assessment of the relevance of qualifications is published each year, based on a retrospective analysis of employment and evolution and a perspective of qualification needs. The unit of analysis for employment is the National Qualification of Professions at four-digit level and the National Code of Qualifications at six-digit level. The relevance assessment is a quantitative composite indicator that varies between one (not relevant) and ten (maximum relevance).
Updates
UPDATES: whether there have been any major updates of the initiative since it has been implemented?
Yes
The programme was created in 1989 as an innovative experience originated by civil society initiatives, including social partners, employment associations, and local development initiatives. The creation of professional schools was a successful strategy as part of education reform and an evaluation of previous VET experiences at the secondary level. In 2005, the government included professional courses in regular secondary schools. The LMSI became very important in regulating the growth of professional courses.
Effectiveness
EVIDENCE ON EFFECTIVENESS: How effective is the policy instrument?
The more recent evaluation with results of the instrument, dated 2020, draws on data covering the period 2017/18. There was a 22% increase in student numbers from 113,749 (2011/12) to 138,591 (2017/18). The participation rate in double certification courses in secondary education oriented to young people, in the Continent, was 42%. The Vocational Courses represent the majority of these offerings, with 80% of students enrolled.
Sustainability
SUSTAINABILITY: How sustainable is the policy instrument? Do you expect the instrument to continue over the next few years and why?
It is expected the Vocational Courses to remain as the key instrument of the Portuguese VET for young people at the secondary level. Having started as an innovative experience more than 30 years ago, they became mainstream and are now the model for all schools' VET courses. They may face new financial constraints after 2020, depending on the strategy adopted for the co-financing of ESF to Portuguese education and training policy.
Other instruments in Portugal
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