Portugal faces significant skills shortages and mismatches. There is a lack of health and ICT professionals and about 30% of workers report having a qualification level different than the required for their job. Skills shortages limit firms’ productivity and growth, while mismatches lead to lower wages and reduced job satisfaction for workers. These skills shortages and mismatches are likely to be exacerbated by the digital and green transitions and population ageing.
Aligning Higher Education to Labour Market Needs Through Improved Skills Forecasting
The European Commission is supporting the Portuguese authorities developing a skills forecasting system to enable them to assess labour market skills needs and effectively identify and address mismatches in advanced skills areas delivered by higher education. The Project is in line with key EU priorities and initiatives, such as the European Skills Agenda, which highlights the value of skills intelligence, and the European Strategy for Universities, which emphasizes the role of Universities in preventing skills mismatches and fostering future-proof skills in learners The project is funded by the European Union’s Technical Support Instrument and implemented jointly by the European Commission and the OECD, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation and the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security.
Context
Key activities and outputs
The project consists of four key activities designed to gather necessary information and support the development of a skills forecasting system for higher education in Portugal:
- Assessment of the current situation in Portugal: Examining skills forecasting exercises in Portugal to identify resources that could be leveraged. Information was gathered through desk research, interviews with key stakeholders and a survey of higher education institutions.
- Assessment of EU and international best practices: Reviewing international best practices for skills forecasting to guide recommendations for Portugal through desk research, interviews with international experts, a peer-learning workshop and a study visit to a relevant country.
- Stakeholder consultations: Discussing strengths and weakness of different approaches with stakeholders as well as gathering feedback on potential policy directions.
- Recommendations and action plan: Developing recommendations for an improved skills forecasting system for higher education.
Results achieved
Portugal will increase their institutional capacity to anticipate skills needs, through a robust skills forecasting system for higher education. This improved skills forecasting system will be designed to align higher education with future labour market needs and mitigate skills shortages and mismatches. In the long run, the expected impact of the project is to reduce shortages and mismatches in skills areas developed in higher education qualifications.
Contacts
Skills for Future Readiness Division, Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs: ELSskills1@oecd.org
This project is funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by the OECD, in cooperation with the European Commission