- 2022Implementation
Background
In order to improve the qualification levels of the Portuguese population, it is necessary to strengthen the education and training system, which will leverage the productive potential of the economy and contribute to reducing socioeconomic and geographic inequalities. The VET Agreement foresees the political design of an integrated and consistent strategy to boost VET supply, valuing the role of vocational training as a mechanism to promote social, professional and academic mobility. Considering lifelong learning as a strategic priority for the next decade, Portugal has defined a set of reforms, investments and measures to increase the participation of the population in initial and continuing training.
Objectives
- Promoting a closer link between the polytechnic network and the training and business dynamics in the different territories and regions.
- Reinforcing the vocational training dimension in higher education.
- Encouraging the diversification of the training supply and lifelong learning.
- Increasing cooperation between higher education institutions, the public vocational training service and the associations and companies of different sectors, in order to qualify and re-qualify professionals in strategic sectors.
Description
High professional technical programmes (CTESP) correspond to a short cycle linked to the Bologna Process, provided exclusively by polytechnic higher education institutions, within the first cycle of higher education. These courses have a study cycle of 120 ECTS, which includes a set of curricular units organised in the components of general and scientific training, technical training and on-the-job training. It confers a qualification equivalent to level 5 of the national qualification framework.
The creation of CTESP, as well as the establishment of their study plans, is preceded, compulsorily, by consultation or collection of information from the employers and business and socio-professional associations of the region where the higher education institution is located. For on-the-job training and the integration of students into a workplace, higher education institutions sign agreements or other forms of partnership with companies or other employers, business and socio-professional associations, or other organisations that best fit the specificity of the training provided, and the requirements of the professional profiles targeted.
Graduates of a CTESP may pursue higher education studies, with up to 50% of the training undertaken being credited. Eligible for these courses, regardless of their employment status, are students who have completed upper secondary education or its legal equivalent. Also eligible are those who...
High professional technical programmes (CTESP) correspond to a short cycle linked to the Bologna Process, provided exclusively by polytechnic higher education institutions, within the first cycle of higher education. These courses have a study cycle of 120 ECTS, which includes a set of curricular units organised in the components of general and scientific training, technical training and on-the-job training. It confers a qualification equivalent to level 5 of the national qualification framework.
The creation of CTESP, as well as the establishment of their study plans, is preceded, compulsorily, by consultation or collection of information from the employers and business and socio-professional associations of the region where the higher education institution is located. For on-the-job training and the integration of students into a workplace, higher education institutions sign agreements or other forms of partnership with companies or other employers, business and socio-professional associations, or other organisations that best fit the specificity of the training provided, and the requirements of the professional profiles targeted.
Graduates of a CTESP may pursue higher education studies, with up to 50% of the training undertaken being credited. Eligible for these courses, regardless of their employment status, are students who have completed upper secondary education or its legal equivalent. Also eligible are those who have passed the special entrance tests to assess their ability to attend higher education for people over 23 and holders of a technological specialisation diploma, a technical higher education diploma or a higher education degree who wish to retrain.
In 2022, 129 private and public education institutions delivered 987 CTESP, in a wide range of sectors: administrative practices and corporate communication; arts and design in ceramics and glass; assistive products in health; automotive technology; bio agriculture; civil defence; cooking and food production; digital media design; digital technologies for agroindustry; environment and safety; environment; cultural heritage and sustainable tourism; game design and digital animation; gerontology; industrial maintenance; quality management; sales management and marketing; sports and nature tourism; and viticulture and oenology.
The applications for the creation of higher technical professional courses for entry into operation in the academic year 2022-23 were submitted between 10 January 2022 and 28 February 2022, through an online application.
Bodies responsible
- Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education
- Directorate General of Higher Education (DGES)
- Polytechnic higher education institutions
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
Thematic categories
Governance of VET and lifelong learning
This thematic category looks at existing legal frameworks providing for strategic, operational – including quality assurance – and financing arrangements for VET and lifelong learning (LLL). It examines how VET and LLL-related policies are placed in broad national socioeconomic contexts and coordinate with other strategies and policies, such as economic, social and employment, growth and innovation, recovery and resilience.
This thematic category covers partnerships and collaboration networks of VET stakeholders – especially the social partners – to shape and implement VET in a country, including looking at how their roles and responsibilities for VET at national, regional and local levels are shared and distributed, ensuring an appropriate degree of autonomy for VET providers to adapt their offer.
The thematic category also includes efforts to create national, regional and sectoral skills intelligence systems (skills anticipation and graduate tracking) and using skills intelligence for making decisions about VET and LLL on quality, inclusiveness and flexibility.
This thematic sub-category refers both to formal mechanisms of stakeholder engagement in VET governance and to informal cooperation among stakeholders, which motivate shared responsibility for quality VET. Formal engagement is usually based on legally established institutional procedures that clearly define the role and responsibilities for relevant stakeholders in designing, implementing and improving VET. It also refers to establishing and increasing the degree of autonomy of VET providers for agile and flexible VET provision.
In terms of informal cooperation, the sub-category covers targeted actions by different stakeholders to promote or implement VET. This cooperation often leads to creating sustainable partnerships and making commitments for targeted actions, in line with the national context and regulation, e.g. national alliances for apprenticeships, pacts for youth or partnerships between schools and employers. It can also include initiatives and projects run by the social partners or sectoral organisations or networks of voluntary experts and executives, retired or on sabbatical, to support their peers in the fields of VET and apprenticeships, as part of the EAfA.
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.
VET standards and curricula define the content and outcomes of learning, most often at national or sectoral levels. VET programmes are based on standards and curricula and refer to specific vocations/occupations. They all need to be regularly reviewed, updated and aligned with the needs of the labour market and society. They need to include a balanced mix of vocational and technical skills corresponding to economic cycles, evolving jobs and working methods, and key competences, providing for resilience, lifelong learning, employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, sustainable awareness and personal development (Council of the European Union, 2020). The thematic sub-category also refers to establishing new VET programmes, reducing their number or discontinuing some. It also includes design of CVET programmes and training courses to adapt to labour market, sectoral or individual up- and re-skilling needs.
This thematic sub-category refers to expanding VET to higher levels and developing VET programmes leading to qualifications at EQF levels 5-8.
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
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.
This thematic sub-category refers to ensuring smooth transitions (permeability) of learners within the entire education and training system, horizontally and vertically. It includes measures and policies allowing learners easily or by meeting certain conditions to move from general education programmes to VET and vice versa; to increase qualification levels in their vocation through the possibility of attending vocational programmes at higher levels, including professional degrees in higher education. It also covers opening up learning progression by introducing flexible pathways that are based on the validation and recognition of the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning.