Portugal: Programme StepByTech: core your future

The StepByTech programme aims to support citizens' participation in new and emerging technologies in a confident, critical and safe way, increasing their chances of gaining and maintaining access to technological jobs.

Financed by the Lisbon City Council, the programme runs free of charge from April to September 2024; a new edition is being considered due to the high number of registrations. Its target audience is citizens between 18 and 68 who live, study or work in the Lisbon metropolitan area, are proficient in English, speak Portuguese and have basic computer skills, specifically:

• those who are looking for a career change or to increase their employability potential on the digital-skills-orientated labour market;
• entrepreneurs and freelancers who need to improve their digital skills portfolio.

StepByTech is part of the Future of Work initiative, which aims to create better life and employment opportunities, develop individual and organisational talent, and build a more inclusive, qualified and competitive city.

Three steps towards digitalisation!

With the cooperation of a training centre, the learning programme enables the acquisition of web development knowledge, from elementary to the most advanced level. It also enables the acquisition of personal skills such as teamwork and creativity. It combines distance learning, face-to-face training and mentoring.

StepByTech has a modular structure, organised in three steps:

1. Tech Scan, comprising six sessions, all distance learning, in workshop and tech talk format;
2. Tech Immersion, composed of three sessions of 4 hours each, all face-to-face;
3. Tech Ignition, a 9-week bootcamp.

Progress to the next step depends on attending all the previous sessions and presenting a practical work, which is assessed in terms of quality and innovation. Completing all modules leads to the award of a Diploma in Web Development, and the best five participants will receive a scholarship to continue their career in this area.

Be a tech worker

Today's society is in the midst of a technological boom, with repercussions in several areas of people's lives and societies. More digitally and technologically qualified citizens is a factor of equity and social cohesion, as it ensures that everyone has access to the same opportunities and benefits associated with the digital transition.  

To ease transition to the tech labour market, in addition to the technical content, career mentoring is also provided. It includes preparation for interviews to access the tech industry; support in developing and reviewing a CV, cover letter and portfolio; and direct contact with an extensive network of local and global companies.

Read more

• Step by step website