Government launches universal e-check for education worth up to 750 euros

From September, the government will introduce a “Check – training + digital technologies” for all workers, regardless of their employment, for up to 750 euros for training that will allow them to master digital skills.

Speaking to Lusa, Secretary of State for Labor Miguel Fontes explained that the initiative is part of the Employment + Digital measure and will take effect this September.

This measure is based on “the possibility of any worker, regardless of the nature of his attitude to the position in which he is in the labor market, to be able to use a check in the amount of [até] €750 to complete a digital skills training course,” he said.

According to a government official, “they could be related to issues related to cybersecurity, to data processing, to digital ‘marketing’, to something that every worker understands as important for improving their skills in the labor market, or to logic.” of those who are striving for professional reconversion, for a change of job, for the search for another sector of activity, may be, let’s say, properly prepared and equipped in this sense.

The Secretary of State recalled that the program as a whole, with three more measures in addition to verification, will aim to mobilize €94 million under the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR).

According to Miguel Fontes, the government started with the first measure it launched in September last year called “Employment + Digital”, which “is an opportunity for companies to apply for training for all or part of their employees.”

“At the moment, out of those 94 million, 43 million euros have already been allocated to this measure,” said the minister, who estimates that 200,000 workers have been covered.

“Now the goal is for the remainder to be divided between these three measures,” he pointed out, stressing that since it is an “open system”, they have decided to “not apply the logic of budget allocation by measure”, but “make integrated management according to the demand that each of these modalities will demonstrate.”

The remaining measures are related to the training of leaders and coaches.

The check, which Miguel Fontes presented during a visit to Fusion Fuel this afternoon, is based on the idea that “recipients can be employees, self-employed workers, self-employed workers, or even partners of sole proprietors,” so that “as much as possible universal.”

“At all times in history, whenever these technological advances occur, these transitions that require more ambitious leaps in terms of the production model, in this case, whether it is a digital transition or an energy transition, we must make sure that these transitions are inclusive because, at the end of the day, we want them to appeal to the people,” he stressed.

“We can’t leave anyone behind,” he said, pointing out that workers need to be given “the tools to enable them to be well-equipped to learn new skills” to counter potential job losses “due to skills becoming obsolete.” , despite the fact that, he guaranteed, “behind each one who ceases to exist, many others will be created, and for which we must qualify not only young people, but also those who are already in the labor market today.”