Combating youth unemployment

Policy development
Practical measure/Initiative
Portugal
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Timeline
  • 2015Implementation
  • 2016Implementation
  • 2017Implementation
  • 2018Implementation
  • 2019Implementation
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Implementation
  • 2022Implementation
  • 2023Implementation
  • 2024Implementation
ID number
36738

Background

A brief overview of the context and rationale of the policy development, explaining why it is implemented or why it is important.

The government developed a national strategy to fight youth unemployment based on a new generation of active employment measures that provide specific support for unemployed young people, and the National plan for the implementation of a youth guarantee responding to the recommendation of the Council of the European Union.

Objectives

Goals and objectives of the policy development.

To provide young people with a good quality offer of employment, continuing education, apprenticeship and traineeship within a period of 4 months after becoming unemployed or leaving formal education.

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

The government promoted a set of active employment measures, including vocational training, associated with the creation of self-employment and youth entrepreneurship, which stand out for their impact on this target group:

  1. The Perception and business management network (Rede de Perceção e Gestão de Negócios, EJá) created in 2016, promotes entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation; and supports the NEETs (young people not in education, employment and training).
  2. The Invest in young people programme (Investe Jovem Programa) was created in 2014 to complement these measures and aims to promote the creation of new companies. It supports the creation of self-employment and micro-businesses, through projects carried out by unemployed young people.
2015
Implementation
2016
Implementation
2017
Implementation
2018
Implementation
2019
Implementation

The implementation was continuing.

2020
Implementation

In 2020, the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) supported 20 projects under the Investe Jovem programme. The programme provided to these 20 projects/ business proposals:

  1. financial support to beneficiaries (applicants) for investment in new businesses and the creation of new job placements;
  2. technical support in the area of entrepreneurship for strengthening beneficiaries' skills and structuring and consolidating their projects.
2021
Implementation

According to the Resolution of Council of Ministers No 188/2021, that updated the National plan for the youth guarantee (PNI-GJ), the PNI-GJ was developed and it is based on the following strategic elements: integration in the labour market; skills and qualification; green and digital transition; inclusion of vulnerable groups; integrated system of outreach, guidance and follow-up; and governance model.

This legislation launched a new edition of the programme Empreende Já (Be an entrepreneur now!), a support measure for self-employment targeting young people who are in a NEET situation, aged between 18 and 29 years old and who have completed the 12th grade. This programme includes 250 hours of vocational training on entrepreneurship skills

Another programme related to NEET is Afirma-te Já! (Be Yourself Now!). Its aim is to support the promotion of local intervention projects, and combating obstacles to access to education, vocational training and decent employment. It intends to intervene as a link between young people and the employment services, and comprises two areas of intervention - learning and employability.

2022
Implementation

In the scope of the implementation of the renewed Youth Guarantee, the Trajectories Programme (Programa Trajetos) was created with the aim to promote access to education, training, employment or entrepreneurship opportunities for young people who are not working, studying or in training.

During 2022, as a result of work done by PES to strengthen signalling namely to reach unregistered unemployed and inactive youth (with ILO support), as well as the involvement of the partners' network 18 327 NEETs participated in VET.

2023
Implementation

Published in November, the report 'Who are the young unemployed? - Diagnosis and Recommendations' presented a diagnosis of youth unemployment in Portugal. Some of the study's findings are:

a. the lack of qualifications continues to be an obstacle to young people entering the labour market;

b. nearly half of the unemployed young people were not registered in PES, corresponding to 50.5% of first-time jobseekers and 50.7% of those looking for new jobs;

c. 13.9% of all unemployed young people had completed upper secondary education and were not studying;

2024
Implementation

The Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth has developed a new programme, Arribar, whose regulations completed the public consultation phase at the end of June. The Arribar programme aims to promote integrated responses for the inclusion of young people deprived of their liberty, namely young people aged between 16 and 21 who are in an educational centre or between 16 and 29 who are in prison and are between 12 and 24 months into their sentence. The implementation of the Arribar Programme is based on local action/intervention, promoted by a consortium of entities. The projects, 36 months long, are to be designed on the basis of a diagnosis of the needs of prisons and/or educational centres in the North, Centre and Alentejo regions. The financial support is EUR 411 764.71 (EUR 350.00 ESF+).

In February, a new platform addressed to NEET was launched. The new platform uses more youth-friendly language and design, is more attractive, and provides more information about job opportunities, internships, and training opportunities.
Young people can register their details in"two minutes" and indicate the type of opportunity they are looking for. The platform also provides information on programmes to support hiring and training grants.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP)
  • Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ)

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Learners

  • Young people (15-29 years old)
  • Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Modernising VET offer and delivery

This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.

The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.

This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.

Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.

Acquiring key competences

This thematic sub-category refers to acquisition of key competences and basic skills for all, from an early age and throughout their life, including those acquired as part of qualifications and curricula. Key competences include knowledge, skills and attitudes needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability and lifelong learning, social inclusion, active citizenship and sustainable awareness. Key competences include literacy; multilingual; science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM); digital; personal, social and learning to learn; active citizenship, entrepreneurship, cultural awareness and expression (Council of the European Union, 2018).

Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation

Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.

This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.

This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.

Financial and non-financial incentives to learners, providers and companies

This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).

Ensuring equal opportunities and inclusiveness in education and training

This thematic sub-category refers to making VET pathways and programmes inclusive and accessible for all. It concerns measures and targeted actions to increase access and participation in VET and lifelong learning for learners from all vulnerable groups, and to support their school/training-to-work transitions. It includes measures to prevent early leaving from education and training. The thematic sub-category covers measures promoting gender balance in traditionally ‘male’ and ‘female’ professions and addressing gender-related and other stereotypes. The vulnerable groups are, but not limited to: persons with disabilities; the low-qualified/-skilled; minorities; persons of migrant background, including refugees; people with fewer opportunities due to their geographical location and/or their socioeconomically disadvantaged circumstances.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET
CVET

Country

Portugal

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Practical measure/Initiative
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Combating youth unemployment: Portugal. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/36738