Public Policy Measure
Adult Education and Training (EFA) Courses are characterized by offering flexible training pathways adapted to the skills that adults already possess, while simultaneously ensuring the improvement of their educational and professional qualification levels, whether combined (dual certification) or only professional or only educational. These courses aim to enhance employability and promote social and professional inclusion. The certification depends on the training pathway undertaken and may correspond to the 4th, 6th, 9th, or 12th years of schooling and the respective qualification level of the National Qualifications Framework (levels 2 and 4).
The objectives of EFA courses are:
– Enable adults, particularly those without secondary education, to access and improve their qualifications;
– Provide flexible pathways adapted to adults’ needs in a lifelong learning context;
– Address the specific qualification needs of adults with low or very low educational levels, including those without basic education, illiterate individuals, or with insufficient literacy skills;
– Allow the attainment of a dual certification qualification adapted to adults’ needs and relevant to the labor market;
– Promote the development of professional and relational skills to support professional activity, better adaptation to technological and organizational changes, and reinforce employability, including for professional reconversion purposes.
EFA courses are aimed at adults aged 18 or over at the start of training, who lack the appropriate qualifications for labor market insertion or progression, prioritizing those without completed basic or secondary education. Secondary-level pathways (academic and level 4), Type A, carried out during daytime or full-time (6 or 7 hours/day), can only be attended by adults aged 21 or over.
This public policy is regulated by Order No. 86/2022 of 4 February, in its current version.
History
Entities
ODS
ODS 4 – Garantir o acesso à educação inclusiva, de qualidade e equitativa, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos