- "Reskilling 4 Employment” is a European initiative that aims to reskill, by 2025, one million unemployed workers, whose qualifications and/or professional experience do not meet the current and emerging needs of a job market undergoing profound changes.
- In Portugal, this initiative is led by Sonae, SAP and Nestlé, who have launched today the “PRO_MOV” programme co-led by the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Vocational Training, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security and other private companies.
Portugal has just announced the first pilot-project of the Reskilling 4 Employment (R4E) programme, an innovative European initiative that aims to enable one million unemployed and ‘at-risk’ workers to reskill by 2025, allowing to develop skills in areas with greater demand for qualified workers.
The transformation of economies towards the double climate and digital transition, driven by the growing use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and automation, will have an increasingly influential role in society and, particularly, in the new needs of the job market. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated these trends, as the need for a joint approach to reskilling the adult population becomes all the more urgent.
The R4E has come to help public, private and social institutions to take action and reach this target. Designed by the European Round Table for Industry (ERT), a forum that brings together around 60 of the leading European multinational companies, the programme aims to fight unemployment and promote the reskilling of the working population towards the double digital and climate transition. For that purpose, pilot-projects are being put together in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, as the first training programmes are now being announced in our country, with the attendance of Ana Mendes Godinho, Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, of Miguel Cabrita, Deputy Minister of Labour and Vocational Training, of António Leite, Vice-President of IEFP, and representatives of Sonae, SAP and Nestlé.
In Portugal, this programme is championed by Sonae, SAP and Nestlé (ERT Members) and by the Portuguese Institute of Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP), in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, in tandem with other private companies such as EDP, Delta Cafés and Sogrape. The priority areas of intervention include industry, digital, green economy, excellence in sales, agriculture and health.
Launching the “PRO_MOV by Reskilling 4 Employment” programme
The first training programme launched by the Portuguese PRO_MOV pilot-project will be led by Nestlé, aimed at reskilling workers in the industry sector. The training for Maintenance Technicians will begin in January 2022 at IEFP’s Training Department, in Oporto, with the approximate duration of six months. More details on the training programme are available at the IEFP website.
The development of this training programme also relied on the support of several companies in the sector, including ATM Total, BA Glass, Bondalti, CTT, Delta Cafés, ETSA, Salvador Caetano, Secil, Sogrape, Sonae Arauco and Sonae MC.
Soon, new training programmes will be announced for different areas of expertise, led by reference companies in the corresponding field: Sogrape in Agriculture, SAP in Digital, EDP in Green Economy and Delta Cafés in Sales Excellence.
Selected candidates will have access to the intensive tech-training programme that includes on-the-job experience in a real work environment, under the guidance of an experienced staff member at the company. In addition, the entire PRO_MOV network will also provide support in the process of finding jobs upon completion of the training.
The main purpose of this pilot-project in Portugal will be to test a new reskilling model that provides applicants with a network of support throughout the entire process, which will be key in scaling up the project for the future.