Portugal: Strengthening dual system vocational education and training and increasing its social standing
"Development of Strategies for Dual Vocational Education and Training"
In the light of the efforts to reform the vocational education and training system in Portugal, the project aims at developing a strategy for strengthening the dual system of vocational education and training. On the one hand, the project intends to improve the social acceptance of vocational education and training so that more young people develop interest in an apprenticeship; on the other, it aims at convincing companies and businesses of the benefit of vocational education and training. The project contributes to combating youth unemployment and to avoiding apprenticeship dropouts.
The project objectives are:
- improving the adjustment of the vocational education and training provision to the needs of the labour market in Portugal (apprenticeship supply and demand);
- improving the quality of the vocational training provision;
- improving the training and certification of teaching and training staff (in particular for in-company training supervisors);
- increasing the attractiveness of apprenticeships.
To achieve this, the project intends to develop an online platform for the improved harmonisation of supply and demand, a quality assurance system for vocational education and training measures and programmes for providers of dual system apprenticeships and a system for the certification and recognition of advanced training schemes (e-learning module) for teachers and in-company training supervisors.
The project co-ordinator is the Portuguese Institute for Employment and Vocational Education and Training (IEFP). Other project partners are the Vocational Education and Training Centre of the Metal Industry (CENFIM, Portugal) and the German Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).
The main function of the BIBB in this project is to provide advice and support, especially in the development of the quality assurance system and the system for the certification and recognition of advanced training schemes for trainers.