Qualifica centres

Qualifica Centres are coordinated by an individual designated by the centre's organising body.  This person is responsible for institutional representation, as well as ensuring proper operation in terms of educational, organisational and financial management.

The coordinator should hold higher education qualifications and have proven professional experience in managing educational and training processes.

Whenever the Qualifica Centre is organised by a school cluster or a non-clustered school, the respective coordinator cannot combine these duties with those of a head teacher of a school cluster or non-clustered school.

As part of the strategic plan, it is the Qualifica Centre coordinator’s responsibility:

• to forge partnerships with bodies that are important in the field of qualification and employment, as well as ensuring permanent activity and monitoring, in order to maximise the relevance, effectiveness and social utility of services the centre provides.
• to foster partnerships with employers, in order to promote lifelong learning, including the improvement, specialisation and retraining of employees, as well as organising internship proposals and training opportunities in a work context.
• to coordinate the strategic intervention plan and draft the activity report, in conjunction with partner organisations and other team members.
• to coordinate the collection, treatment and systematic dissemination of information regarding businesses, employment and qualification opportunities for young people and adults.
• to make all relevant information available and collaborate with the National Agency for Qualification and Vocational Education (Agência Nacional para a Qualificação e o Ensino Profissional - ANQEP, IP) regarding the qualification and supervision network and monitoring of respective provision.

In operational terms, the coordinator is also responsible for:

• managing the team and developing its potential to ensure that the Qualifica Centre complies with its duties, encouraging innovation, quality and services geared towards candidates and the employment market.
• implementing systematic self-assessment mechanisms able to assess the quality of interventions and user satisfaction.
• making the information necessary for the supervision, monitoring and external evaluation of the activity available, according to ANQEP guidelines.
• adopting measures that enhance Qualifica Centre services, considering the results of self-assessment and external review processes.
• ensuring the reliability of the information recorded in the Information and Management System of the Education and Training Provision (Sistema de Informação e Gestão da Oferta Educativa e Formativa - SIGO).
• ensuring the necessary support for candidates with disabilities during their certification process.

Adult education and training courses

The technical-pedagogical team of EFA courses consists of the pedagogical manager, who has the role of mediator, and trainers, who work in the different areas of education, training and key competences.

Portuguese as a host language courses

Portuguese as a Host Language (PLA) courses are organised by public schools, by the network of centres directly managed by the Instituto do Emprego e da Formação Profissional, I. P. and by the Qualifica Centres network.

These courses are taught by fully qualified teachers in the area of Portuguese, preferably with specific training in teaching Portuguese as a foreign or second language, or by trainers with specific training in the same area.