Vítor Freitas, CEO of Leica, gave the example of the German multinational, which has a factory in Lousado and sees vocational education as "strategic, and this is reflected in the very close relationship we have with the schools in the municipality, where we find young people with a lot of technical competence who complement theoretical training and raise the qualification that the market is so looking for".

For his part, Carlos Vieira, from Católica Porto Business School, debunked the idea that vocational education 'castrates' further study and that "more and more students are arriving at universities via vocational education, often better prepared for the content and qualifications that the market is increasingly looking for". 

In this regard, Vila Nova de Famalicão has approved seven new Specialised Technological Centres "which are going to change the quality of the teaching units we have for the better," said Amadeu Dinis, director of the CIOR vocational school and president of the National Association of Vocational Schools. 

At the meeting with professionals, businesspeople, parents, carers, students and teachers, Famalicão mayor Mário Passos recalled the municipality's investment in vocational education. "The success of the municipality - which is the third largest exporter in the country - is very much a reflection of this involvement of schools, universities and technology centres, which is differentiating so that companies can increase their productive capacity, entrepreneurial capacity and productivity." 

Another of the aims of the initiative was to help primary and secondary school pupils gain a better understanding of the training on offer so that they are able to make informed vocational choices.