A new scheme provides financial support for upskilling and reskilling for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses in industries experiencing reduced orders or low turnover.
Background
The lack of qualified labour is a widespread problem, making it difficult for businesses to specialise, innovate and remain competitive. Meanwhile, unemployment leaves workers at risk of skills obsolescence. Addressing these issues requires strategies to upskill and reskill workers and attract new talent needed for industry to modernise and remain competitive. To this end, this decade the Portuguese government prioritised lifelong learning. Vocational training and qualifications are included in the strategic planning instruments for implementing diverse public policies, in line with the Recommendation of the Council of the European Union on VET and the Osnabrück Declaration.
Training for modernising the industrial sector
The ‘Industry qualify’ programme (Programa Qualifica Indústria), launched in September 2023, provides non-refundable funding for training projects that help modernise the industrial sector when companies experience decreased productive activity due to unforeseen market conditions. The scheme covers the charges of salary costs and sector-specific training. The goal of this programme is to improve workers' qualifications in the industrial sectors, which will help them in their professional development, reskilling, and employability. The programme also aims to prevent the risk of unemployment, promote job retention, and improve the productivity and competitiveness of companies and the economy.
Key elements
To be eligible for financial support, the training plan must meet the following requirements:
- contribute to the effective improvement of workers' professional skills, particularly by increasing their level of qualification;
- be based on certified training integrated in the national qualifications catalogue, and may include extra-catalogue training up to 75% of the total hours;
- involve 200 hours of training per worker to be carried out during working hours, and allow for integration into full days of training;
- cover at least two continuous weeks of training.
Training development
The Institute of Employment and Professional Training (IEFP – Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional) manages this scheme. The programme operates on an open application system during a specified period, with each application approved according to the budget allocation detailed in the call. Each company can apply for up to 100 workers. Employers can submit applications for training projects directly, or through the appropriate associations that represent employers and businesses at sectoral, regional, and national levels.
Training, always adapted to the company's needs, can be provided in person, as blended-learning or e-learning, by the following entities:
- centres managed directly or in part by IEFP within the IEFP centres’ network;
- employers’ and business associations, at sectoral, regional and national levels, and industrial companies, duly certified as training entities by the Directorate-General for Employment and Industrial Relations (DGERT – Direcção Geral do Emprego e das Relações de Trabalho).
Read more
Portaria No 282/2023 de 14 de setembro (Regulation No 282/2023, of September 14)
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Please cite this news item as: ReferNet Portugal; Cedefop (2023). Portugal: a silver lining for declining business – the ‘Industry qualify’ programme. National news on VET |