"Qualifica AP", a certification and degree-earning programme for Portuguese civil servants

Having observed that many civil servants – due to their education level and/or changes in their jobs – are facing real difficulties in the event of professional transition, the Portuguese government has just launched a vast high-priority initiative designed to give them the means to be better prepared.

"Qualifica AP" is a mixed programme that covers both academic knowledge and professional skills. It is designed to foster lifelong learning, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to improve their qualifications and boost their career prospects.

It is the public-sector version of a highly-successful plan that was implemented two years earlier in the private sector. Qualifica AP is coordinated by the Directorate-General for the Qualification of Public Employees (INA).

As a first step, government departments must carry out a head-count of staff with little or no qualifications¹ as well as those wishing to earn additional qualifications for their CV.

These needs will be integrated into the training plan in the same way as those related to skill-building or employment adaptation.

A network of "Qualifica AP" accredited centres – consisting of educational establishments and post-graduate schools for practical training – will be gradually established throughout the country, to ensure proximity to the workplace. They will offer a wide range of certified and diploma courses, as well as curriculum suggestions.

To help them do so, civil staff will also have access to the "Qualifica Passport" module, a platform where they can record the qualifications earned throughout their careers, as well as receive guidance through simulations.

Depending on the academic and professional progress made or underway, and by being able to easily identify the skills staff need to reach their goals, "Qualifica AP" aims to turn civil servants into participants in building their training paths.

The programme is fully in line with the government's "INCoDe2030" strategy on the development of digital skills and the promotion of the work of public-sector employees.
 

¹  Qualifica AP primarily concerns the 150,000 public employees (22% of the workforce) who do not have a secondary school-leaving certificate