NRP Portugal

thematic areas (including post‐ graduate and doctoral programmes) have alreadystarted in the 2007‐2008 academic year, thus complementing the R&D programmesand activities underway. Also underway is the preparation of new internationalpartnerships with higher education S&T international institutions of reference (e.g.HarvardMedicalSchoolandothers).ThesepartnershipsstrivetoactasastimulusfortheinternationalopeningofuniversitiesandboosttheinternationalexcellenceofR&Dactivities and advanced training in the leading S&T fields (see highlights in"InvestigationandDevelopment"chapter).3.2. Fosteringjobcreation,preventionandcombatingofunemployment:ActiveEmploymentPoliciesInthesepriorities,wealsonotepolicymeasuressuchastheSocialInsertionIncome(RSI),theSolidaritySupplementfortheElderly(CSI),theExtensionoftheSocialFacilityNetworkProgramme(PARES(sic).IntheinterventionareaofthePublicEmploymentService(SPE),wehighlighttheroleplayedbytheINSERJOVEMandREAGEInitiatives(targeting youngsters and adults, respectively), whose intervention methodologieshavebeenprogressivelyadjustedtorenderthemproactivetotheneedsofthelabourmarket and different groups, particularly those most exposed to exclusion from thelabourmarketandsociety.Newformatshavebeenimplementedintheframeworkofthemodernisationofpublicservicestoenableabettercoverageofdifferentgroupsbasedoncriteriasuchasage,qualifications and disadvantage relative to employment. This contributes to a betterfocusonthosewithgreatestinsertiondifficultiesandactionthatismoretargetedtothespecificitiesofeachgroup.Inaddition,procedureshavebeenimplementedthatfoster the active search for jobs by the unemployed. The simplification ofadministrative procedures for supporting technical interventions, as well as a fastercommunicationwithunemployedpersons,namelybysendinginformationaboutjoboffers by SMS, and the increase in services available over the Internet, i.e.NETemprego,bothfortheunemployed(browsingjoboffersinPortugalandintheEU;directapplicationtojoboffers;browsinginformationonpotentialemployingbodies;disseminationoftheCVanditssubmissiontobodieswhichhaveannouncedjoboffers;information on job searching techniques; information on services, programmes andmeasure provided by the Employment and Vocational Training Institute), and foremployers (communicating job offers, browsing CVs registered online, electronicsubmissionofapplicationstovocationalprogrammes),havecontributedtowardsthestaffbeingmoreavailabletointerveneduringtheinitialphaseofunemployment.Atthesametime,thereinforcingofsomemeasures,suchasprofessionalinternshipsandinitialdualcertificationtraininghaveenabledmoreyoungpeopletohaveaccesstoanewopportunityinashorterperiodoftimeafterapplyingforajob.Withinthisframework,thePersonalEmploymentPlan(PPE)facilitatedthefosteringofproactiveattitudesonthepartofunemployedyoungpeoplewhoarebeneficiariesofunemploymentprotectionservicesbyintroducingfortheseunemployedpersonsanobligatory stage of Active Job Seeking, indicating the actions, frequency, periodicity65