AICEP
Agência para o Investimento e Comércio Externo de Portugal

Between 1976 and 2001, the number of students enrolled in Portuguese universities grew faster than in any other European Union country, increasing by an annual average of almost 6% compared no nearly 3% for the pre-enlargement EU (of 15 countries).

Portugal has now 35% of its 20 year-old youngsters enrolled in higher education levels and is committed to have additional 100.000 new graduates during the next 4 years.  To achieve this goal, public policies are investing additional 100 million euro to qualify the current workforce, stimulating the upgrade of their qualifications to the highest levels. Public policies and incentives are also encouraging coimpanies to  hire  PhD graduates.

Various steps have been taken to upgrade the academic and professional experience of the Portuguese workforce over the years. Consequently, Portugal has increased the age  of obligatory schooling  and developed a program of international cooperation between top-level international schools and Portuguese universities.

Scientific work has also been boosted. Portuguese institutions now produce more than 7,000 scientific papers* a year compared with only a couple of hundred in 1981. In 2001. Portugal joined the restricted group of “countries of excellence” that contribute to the top 1% of the world’s most highly cited scientific publications.

Portugal has today a strong pool of workforce with high level of education in a wide range of fields, especially in Business and Administration, with high motivation and adaptability. Although we have a highly qualified and motivated workforce, our wages continue to be competitive when compared to various other EU countries.

The Portuguese workforce is particulary "language skilled". Forty-two per cent of the population can hold a conversation in, at least, one foreign language and 23% can do it in at least 2 languages. The most widely spoken language in the country is English followed by French and Spanish.

* 2009 data