Working Together To Amend Adult Skills Inward Portugal

By Andreas Schleicher

Director, Directorate for Education together with Skills

Photo credit: xtock/Shutterstock

In the bridge of a few decades, Portugal has transformed into an inclusive democracy. Its citizens bask a practiced criterion of living, together with despite beingness severely impacted past times the fiscal crisis, the country’s economic scheme is growing i time again.

Portugal has made impressive progress inward education, every bit well, with attainment rates rise continuously together with youth academic functioning fast improving. Yet although many immature Portuguese people forthwith consummate their pedagogy together with acquire skills that volition last needed inward the hereafter – including digital skills – a large pose out of older, low-educated adults are at jeopardy of falling behind.

Equipping all Portuguese adults with the correct skills volition last critical for Portugal together with its people to address the challenges of the hereafter together with seize the opportunities it presents. More than 50% of working-age adults inward Portugal conduct keep non completed secondary education. As a result, they may combat inward a the world where globalisation together with digitalisation are destroying some jobs, creating novel ones together with transforming the tasks people demand inward the workplace. They volition also combat to fully participate inward guild together with political life.

Our novel report, Skills Strategy Implementation Guidance for Portugal: Strengthening the Adult-Learning System, identifies 3 areas for activity together with xi detailed policy recommendations aimed at reinforcing the capacity of Portugal’s adult-learning organization to heighten skills. This, inward turn, tin dismiss help boost economical increment together with social cohesion.  

The starting fourth dimension pace would last for Portugal to develop a coherent adult-learning strategy that encompasses existing together with novel measures, together with aligns with other primal economical policies. Such an integrated strategy would last built on a vision shared past times all actors involved, including the government, social partners, pedagogy together with preparation providers, together with the learners themselves. It would also connect diverse policy areas that back upward adult learning together with engage stakeholders.

Putting these recommendations into activity volition involve a broad make of stakeholders.

The side past times side of import pace would last to heighten awareness some the value of skills together with adult learning. Recent initiatives similar the Qualifica programme together with tools such every bit the Qualifica Passport are promising moves toward raising participation rates. But improving participation with the low-skilled continues to last a peculiarly formidable challenge. It is thence essential that Portugal locomote along its efforts to demonstrate the value of skills together with skills investments past times disseminating amend information on the returns from skills, together with past times implementing a comprehensive communication displace that includes outreach tailored to specific groups.

It is also of import to improve the accessibility, character together with relevance of adult-learning opportunities. This tin dismiss last achieved past times removing barriers to participation, including through to a greater extent than flexible together with labour market-relevant programmes, every bit good every bit adequate back upward to acquire far easier for those who juggle operate together with household unit of measurement priorities to conduct keep part.

Improved guidance for learners could also strengthen the civilization of lifelong learning inward Portugal past times providing clear ways for adults to access the learning opportunities they demand at diverse points throughout their lives. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 to a greater extent than systematic agency to monitor together with evaluate the outcomes of programmes volition last primal to raising character together with identifying what industrial plant best, together with for whom.

  

Strengthening the governance together with financing of the adult-learning organization inward Portugal is essential to ensuring that all actors operate together towards mutual goals, together with that funding is used strategically to heighten character together with improve outcomes for learners. The solid set down needs effective mechanisms to co-ordinate the multiple actors involved inward adult learning. Portugal should thence consider setting upward dedicated governance bodies to oversee adult learning (e.g., a permanent inter-ministerial squad together with a permanent grouping inside an existing multi-stakeholder institution) together with ensure that it remains at the forefront of policy priorities inward the long term. 

The solid set down also needs strategies for damage sharing with the populace together with private sectors, recognising that the returns on investment would create goodness learners, employers together with guild at large. To help with this, Portugal should found a stable together with quality-oriented funding model through a “skills financing pact”. Well-targeted fiscal incentives for learners, employers together with providers volition help heighten participation of all parties involved inward adult learning. 

Putting these recommendations into activity volition involve a broad make of stakeholders, including governments, individuals, employers, merchandise unions, together with pedagogy together with preparation providers. They volition demand to conduct keep articulation responsibleness together with commit to delivering on efforts to improve the character of Portugal’s adult-learning organization together with acquire far to a greater extent than accessible.

Portugal has led the agency throughout history – it spearheaded the world exploration centuries ago, together with today it attracts tape numbers of visitors together with entrepreneurs to its dynamic cities. The solid set down forthwith needs to come upward together to ensure that everyone has the skills needed to thrive inward a fast-changing world, together with to laid upward prosperity together with social progress for generations to come.

Read more:

• Skills Strategy Implementation Guidance for Portugal: Strengthening the Adult-Learning System