Portugal is pushing vocational training, backed by nearly €1.5bn in EU funding, to prepare 55% of its secondary school students for in-demand jobs.
"I really like rolling up my sleeves and getting stuck in," says CNC programming student Diogo Campinho, one of over 400 trainees at the CIOR school in Vila Nova de Famalicão learning high-demand technical trades.
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While many school-leavers may fear automation, these students see artificial intelligence as a useful tool. Mechatronics trainee Dinis Machado argues that robots cannot replace humans, as machines can neither explain how a problem arose nor communicate solutions to clients.
Many are filled with optimism for their professional lives, with pharmacy student Lara Martins Capelo telling Euronews: "I think that with the experience we've gained, it will be easy to employ me."
With 40% of European employers facing recruitment shortages, Portugal aims to enrol 55% of secondary students in vocational education and training by 2030. Backed by €1.5 billion from the European Social Fund Plus via the national Pessoas 2030 economic programme, the initiative aligns training with industrial policy.