Background information

National Catalogue for Qualifications is an integral part of the National Qualifications System (Decree-Law 396/2007 of 31 December). The Ordinance 781/2009 of 23 July established the structure and organisation of the National Catalogue for Qualifications. The instrument relates to 274 vocational qualifications from 39 educational and training area addressed at young people and adults aged over 18 with a non-higher level of qualifications.

Content of measure

The National Catalogue of Qualifications (CNQ) is a tool for the strategic management of national qualifications at all levels, except for higher level. Furthermore, it promotes regulation of training offers for double certification (which means the recognition of skills, via a diploma, of competencies, to perform one or more occupational activities and to qualify for entry into higher education courses). It fosters efficiency in public funding for qualification initiatives, as the design of curriculum and the adjustment of training contents to the competencies required by the labour market in several occupational activities is done through the CNQ. 

The CNQ provides for each qualification an occupational profile, a training reference, a Recognition of Informal and Non-Formal Training (Sistema de Reconhecimento, Validação e Certificação de Competências, RVCC) reference (academic and vocational), a list of training and a framework of recognition, validation and certification of competencies (academic and vocational). 

The CNQ has sectoral councils which are local working groups with technical and advisory competences, created by the National Agency for Qualification to participate in the updating and development of the catalogue. Some of the functions are:

• Identify the developments in the different economic sectors of activity.
• Identify qualifications and competences needs.
• Present suggestions to update/develop the catalogue.
• Facilitate and support the processes of articulation/cooperation among relevant entities as far as qualifications are concerned in each sector of activity.

Use of measure

No information to date.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment	Does not apply to businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Trade unions Employers' organisations Local / regional government Public employment service	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

• 21 December 2007: Decree-Law 396/2007 of 31 December (dre.pt)
• 23 July 2009: Ordinance 781/2009 of 23 July (dre.pt)
• 08 July 2010: Ordinance 474/2010 of 8 July (www.dgeec.mec.pt)
• 28 June 2019: Decree-Law 84/2019 of 28 June (dre.pt)