Abstract:

Vocational training offers are increasingly wide-ranging and varied. These courses have a technical component that imparts students with fundamental skills to work in a specific profession and, at the same time, confer a school certification [1]. The valorization of a practical instruction and the development of precise skills, together with the possibility of continuing studies, stand out as the main reasons that lead students to choose vocational education [2].

However, it is still not clear whether this diversity in training areas matches the current needs of the labor market. This paper attempts to answer this question by exploring the alignment and suitability of the vocational training offer and the real needs of companies in one Portuguese district.

The research methodology is quantitative. The secondary data were made available by the Direção Geral dos Estabelecimentos Escolares [3] and refer to the vocational training offer of 19 municipalities belonging to the district of Aveiro, in Portugal, for the triennium 2018-2021. Other databases used throughout the study to complement the analysis were Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos [4] and Direção Geral de Estatísticas da Educação e Ciência [DGEEC] [5], as well as the Portuguese Classification of Economic Activities (CAE-Rev.3) published by the National Institute of Statistics [6].

Results allow us to conclude that vocational training schools in the district under analysis have a moderate alignment with the labor market. Despite the fact that the development of specific skills facilitates students’ integration in companies [2], there are still some barriers for an effective school transition [7], such as a mismatching between training specialization and employability in the same sector of economic activity [7] and/or between labor market demand and available vocational training courses. Overcoming these impediments is crucial to enhance the social and economic development of the region. The study also highlights that this change would be a relevant facilitator of equity, justice, and social inclusion [8].

The main contribution of this study is to foster a reflection on the need to articulate vocational training schools, students and business requirements in a common quest. It also identifies some future professional profiles based on governmental education and training areas. Our findings resonate with extant literature on the resistance policy makers still have in facing the difficult transition from school to the labor market [9]. Mitigating some of these barriers would help students in their career path and leverage regional socio-economic development.

Keywords:

Professional Education, Training Offer, Labor Market, Regional Development.