Carlos Oliveira: It is not the government that solves everything, it can provide incentives″

The José Neves Foundation has invested more than 2 million to help educate 290 Portuguese. What kind of skills are you looking for?

We are already at 300 people and 2.3 million euros, in a geographically diversified profile, both in terms of training offer (schools) and courses, which now total 350. What encourages us the most is that 92% of those who do them have a job. It is the people who choose the training and we make decisions based on the improvement it can bring to their lives. In today’s world, grades are worth very little to employers, it is believed that those who complete the training have acquired certain skills. What makes a difference is creativity, the ability to work as a team, digital skills and other more social-emotional skills.

And do they monitor the results of those who have already completed it? What is the return on investment?

There is very high employability and a substantial wage increase, of 8500 euros/year more, which is a good indicator of impact. Another is that of the candidates who have not been approved for the ISA (Income Share Agreement) only 60% have completed their suggested training and of those who have been approved 99% have completed their training – that is, we help those who actually want to train. We are motivated to continue, but we need to create more of these mechanisms. We look at partners and how we can increase the impact. And we already have 80 or 90 professionals making the payment – it’s the model that works: helping people give back when they started earning and feeling like they’re contributing to improving the lives of others. It’s the revolving fund we wanted and that allows us to always reach new people.

With more qualifications, isn’t there a risk that these people will flee, emigrate?

Not this one. The risk of emigration is if the country does not solve certain problems. People leave because they have no opportunities in the country. Therefore, there is an urgent need to correct the low wages – which requires an improvement in productivity. It is no longer hours, but more creative, more productive work, with more knowledge.

Read the full study here

Does it make sense to talk about the four-day week?

Trying not to politicize, because we want to contribute to a positive discussion… Salary increases are essential and it is true that it is not time but efficiency that makes the difference, but there are sectors where it would be unattainable. The point is, you need a plan, you can’t do it overnight. If wages go up 20% and inflation continues to rise, it won’t come. What is urgent is that there is productivity to back it up. Our sin is not focused on a concrete plan of action to solve problems. And it is not the government that solves everything, nor does it make sense that in a market economy it should provide incentives – de-bureaucratization, simplification and that entrepreneurs see the state only as a simplifier and not as a solution for their businesses.

More and more it is about skills, not about profession. Is lifelong learning a growing need in this new paradigm?

There must also be coordination between education and the needs of the labor market. The market has changed due to covid, a broader need for digital skills has risen sharply, there is a dynamic in demand for qualified and digital jobs and also for more cross-cutting skills – communication, creativity, teamwork…

Did it make sense to actively promote closer links between businesses and schools?

Doubtless. We have a big challenge in Portugal and it is something that FJN promotes: not more school hours, but promoting practice, interaction. It is not necessarily a matter of degree, they are short courses that impart specific skills and help people develop and acquire skills throughout their lives. Instead of looking at occupations, we need to look at interconnected clusters of occupations, and have short-, medium- and long-term strategies, focusing on global trends.