NRP Portugal

ealisationofthisreformprocesswaswidelyrecognisedintheanalysispresentedbytheOECDinApril2008,inthestudy“HighereducationintheKnowledgeSociety”–comparativeanalysisonpoliciesof“TertiaryEducation”thatinvolved24countries.Itis noteworthy that in the 2006‐2007 school year the downward trend of newstudents in higher education was inverted and this trend was again confirmed in2007‐2008.Asaresult,in2007,thenumberofstudentsattendinghighereducationinPortugalroseforthefirsttimesince2002.Thiseffortwillbecontinuedin2008‐2010,withtheaimofconsolidatingandfurtheringtheresultsobtainedatthesametimeastakingcaretoadjusttheresponsessothattheyaremoreinlinewiththeneedsofthelabourmarket.Atthesametime,attentionisalsofocusedonpromotingscientificknowledge,ontheinnovationandmodernisationoftheproductivefabric,inlinewiththeprioritytotransformthePortugueseproductionmodelbyboostingactivitiesofgreateraddedvalue(seealsothemicrocomponent)).Tothisend,thepledgeinthepromotionofLLLcontinues,namelycentredontheboostintheNewOpportunitiesInitiativeandtheReformofVocationalTraining.TheReformofVocationalTraining,approvedbytheRCMnr.173/2007,dated7/11,following the signing of the Agreement for the Reform of Vocational Training,foreseestheenlargementofaccessandassuresthatalltrainingprovidesschoolandprofessionalprogressionandincreasestherelevanceforbusinessmodernisationbyplacingqualificationatthecentreofthedevelopmentoptions.Thisdemandsactionin five fundamental lines: (1) structuring a relevant and certified supply; (2)reforming the institutions and the regulation of training; (3) defining appropriatefinancing priorities and models; (4) promoting quality training; and (5) facilitatingaccessandfurtheringthedemandfortraining.DecreeLawnr.396/2007,dated31December,waspublishedintheambitofthereformsettingoutthelegalregimeoftheNationalQualificationSystem(NQS).The NQS assumes the objectives already confirmed in the New OpportunitiesInitiativeandpromotesthenecessaryinstrumentsforitseffectiveimplementationinarticulation with financial instruments, notably NSRF. This System adopts theprinciplessetoutintheagreementsignedwiththesocialpartnersandrestructuresvocational training inserted in the education system and inserted in the labourmarket, integrating them with common objectives and instruments and under arenewedinstitutionalframework.The strategy involves assuring the relevance of training and learning for personaldevelopmentandforthemodernisationofcompaniesandtheeconomy,whilstalsoassuringthatallthenationaleffortintrainingisinfactvalorisedforthepurposesofthe school and professional progression of citizens, both directly via the dualcertification training found in the National Qualification Catalogue, and indirectlyviatheNewOpportunitiescentresandtheprocessfortherecognition,validationsandcertificationofcompetences.52