The Government of Portugal reinforced today (8) the invitation to residents of the country, interested in improving their digital skills, to sign up for the “Cheque Formação + Digital” program. The initiative offers annual financial assistance of up to €750 so that candidates can cover costs related to digital training, such as taking courses in the technology area. All immigrants with a valid Residence Permit (AR) in the country can request the benefit.
The Portuguese government's initiative tries to reverse a scenario that puts the country at a disadvantage in the European bloc when it comes to the digital qualification of the Portuguese workforce. In June this year, a study by the José Neves Foundation exposed the country's weaknesses when it comes to digital skills in the Portuguese workplace. According to the survey “State of the Nation on Education, Employment and Skills in Portugal”, four out of every ten workers in the country “are in jobs in which they either do not use digital technologies, or make very basic use of them and 48% of companies have a low level of digitalization”.
In contrast to this reality, Portugal is also seeing a growing interest among young people in training in the area of Information Technology (IT). From 2014 to 2022, the number of vacancies filled in the IT sector grew 5 times more than the general employment average. The index demonstrates an increase in the computerization of the workforce in the Portuguese labor market. On the other hand, says the Foundation, “it is necessary to accelerate to annual increases of 10% by 2030 to reach the target established by the European Union”.
Step by Step to Apply
To submit an application, interested parties must register online on the Employment and Professional Training Institute website – iefponline . This is the first step for anyone looking to obtain government assistance. To do so, it is necessary to present some documents.
Necessary documents:
- Proof of regularized contribution status with the Social Security and Tax Authority or declaration of authorization to consult the IEFP, IP
- Declaration sworn to honor by the candidate.
- Report justifying the Training Action.
- Declaration from the training entity (actions to be started/started and not completed) or declaration proving attendance of training (actions started and completed).
- Proof of IBAN.
When to start training : Candidates can start training either before or after submitting their application. However, it is necessary to remember that, when starting earlier, there is no guarantee that the benefit will be authorized for the requested training.
In-person or Mixed Training : training can be in-person or mixed (in-person and remotely). It is not possible to receive support for training completely remotely.