The second meeting of the national network was held in 12 December at the facilities of the General Directorate for Employment and Industrial Relations (DGERT), at the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Social Security.
The General Director of DGERT and representatives of ANQEP, CCP, CECOA, CEFOSAP, CGTP-IN, CIP, IEFP and Turismo de Portugal attended the meeting, coordinated by the ReferNet Portugal team.
The meeting began with a review on the topics covered at the annual plenary meeting of ReferNet, took place in Thessaloniki between 21 and 23 November. Information on the most recent developments in VET policy in the EU; the needs for information and analysis of VET at European level and how they affect the activities of the network; preparation of the work plan for 2019; the reflection and sharing of experiences within the scope of the validation process of ReferNet products; among other subjects, were covered.
The encounter overviewed the activities carried out in Portugal, emphasising the importance of cooperation in this first year of the network’s existence. The significance and quality of the information sent to Cedefop increased since it reflects not only the DGERT’s vision but also partners’ perspectives and knowledge.
The meeting proceeded with the presentation of the last activity envisaged in the 2018 work plan, the article “Policy strategies, initiatives and practices to prepare VET systems for digitalisation and future of work technologies”. The partners discussed the importance of this issue as well as artificial intelligence in the future of work and the various implications that will be reflected in the VET system and labour market.
The team presented the work plan and new activities for the next year, namely the preparation of VET in Europe – Online Presentation Tool, which will allow the comparison of specific information on VET between different countries, and the Spotlight on VET joint edition.
Visibility remains one of the most relevant topics in the network, particularly the dissemination of documents and reports. Partners learned about how Cedefop and the European Commission use ReferNet products. Four reports will be translated into Portuguese at the beginning of 2019: VET Policies, VET in Portugal, International Mobility in IVET and Public Opinion on VET. Data from the ReferNet’s website shows that, during the year 2018, the numbers of users and their countries of origin, reflects a strong growth of visits, a possible consequence of the new design and content update.
For next year, partners agreed to organise events to disseminate the work of the network and Cedefop, taking into consideration the needs of the partners.
The next meeting will be held in May 2019.