Education and Training News Protocol on ICT Academies signed with Microsoft Portugal Protocol on ICT Academies signed with Microsoft Portugal
- 26/11/2007A presentation of the Microsoft IT Academy Programme will take place on 30th November 2007 from 2.30pm to 4.45pm at the Hotel da Lapa, Lisbon. The session will conclude with the signature of a collaboration protocol between Microsoft Portugal and Knowledge Society Agency (UMIC), in the scope of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Portuguese Government and Microsoft in 2006. This will target the promotion and creation of ICT Academies, where the emphasis shall be on vocational ICT training, taking on board Microsoft IT Academy initiatives in Portugal.
The Information Society action programme Connecting Portugal targets the stimulation of training and skill development in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), improving supply for different audiences, acquisition of technological skills by young people that are crucial for the modern job market, as well as recognition and accreditation of skills gained.
In this context, and given the fact that there is a shortage of ICT professionals in Portugal, the aim is to set up and operate ICT Academies in conjunction with companies in the sector that have ICT vocational training and certification programmes, together with polytechnics and universities.
The objective is also for these initiatives to foster the creation of local networks that galvanise ICT skills, bringing in Higher Education institutions, primary and secondary schools, job training and support institutions, social development institutions, entrepreneurial associations and companies.
Microsoft IT Academies and other companies’ bodies of a similar nature can significantly contribute to spread knowledge in this area and improve employability via their special contacts with the job market.
With this protocol, Microsoft Portugal pledges to provide free specialised training in the Activity Plan of each Microsoft IT Academy via a course with one trainer per three trainers to help interested Higher Education institutions become Certification Centres for skills, support ICT Academies’ marketing to get their message across to their target audience, and second one Microsoft employee to monitor and support the development of Microsoft IT Academies in Portugal.
The protocol incorporates one of the pledges made in the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Portuguese Government and Microsoft in 2006 regarding galvanising ICT use and increasing young people’s qualifications in this area by promoting the implementation of vocational courses for Microsoft technologies in the higher education system, namely in polytechnic institutions and allowing for internationally recognised professional certificates.
There are currently 8 Microsoft IT Academies in Portugal, namely at the following institutions: Escola Superior de Tecnologia de Castelo Branco, Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Fundação Minerva, at the Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, ATEC – Escola Profissional – Porto, Coptécnica Gustav Eiffel – Amadora, FORINO – Escola Profissional – Lisboa.
14 new Microsoft Academies are planned by mid-2008.