The University of Algarve had its applications approved, within the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), guaranteeing a total funding of 4,2 million euros for the period 2021-2026. The value is distributed among the projects UAlg+Skills4All e FOSTEAM@SOUTH.
The application designated by UAlg+Skills4All consists of the components Impulso Jovem STEAM and Impulso Adultes. According to a note from the University, this project «will contribute to the consolidation of UAlg's strategy, asserting itself as an institution focused on the outside, which promotes economic development, social well-being and sustainability, through the creation and dissemination of knowledge ».
UAlg's strategy is based on four axes: Teaching, Research, Community and Governance. In Education, the UAlg aims to increase the number of students and graduates, of all levels of education, and proposes to strengthen its presence among young people in secondary education; attract international students; promote pedagogical innovation and best practices to support students and renew the training offer.
In the community pillar, UAlg aims to increase its impact on society through a commitment to the sustainable development of the region and the country, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 (SDGs).
These objectives are also the challenges present in the guiding principles of the UAlg+Skills4All, through which UAlg intends to increase the number of young students in short cycles and first cycle in the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM); increase the female gender's uptake of ICTs; reduce the dropout rate and increase young higher education students; increase the attraction of international students, particularly for the STEAM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Humanities); and increase the number of adults in training and requalification programs, according to employers' needs, through postgraduate courses and short courses.
In order to achieve these guiding principles, five transversal and multidisciplinary projects will be implemented: UAlg+Skills4STEAM, to attract more young people to higher education; UAlg+Skills4Success, to reduce school dropout; UAlg+Skills4Innovation, to promote pedagogical innovation; UAlg+StudyGrants, to attract more students (youth and adults) through financial support; it's the UAlg+Skills4Life, to create a program of microcredentials – short modules of accredited training that allow flexible training paths.
All training provided is credited by the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), of the European Higher Education Area, which facilitates the recognition of academic qualifications at national and international level.
The main objective of the candidacy of the UAlg+Skills4All it involves improving students' digital skills so that they are properly prepared to respond to the needs of the labor market. For this reason, most of the funding requested will be for the acquisition of the equipment necessary for the UAlg's digital transition, for the development of new training programs and for the improvement of the existing ones.
The results of Impulso Jovem will be achieved by attracting more students to the University's current courses, namely, the Higher Professional Technical Courses (CTeSP) and licensure, reinforced with three new CTeSP: Digital Marketing; Multimedia Design and Technologies; Computer Technologies in the academic year 2021/22, and a new degree in Systems Engineering and Computer Technologies) in 2022/23.
The results of the Adult Impulse will be achieved mainly through the offer of courses for training and requalification in all areas, with a strong digital component. Lifelong learning will include short courses, postgraduate and master's degrees, from all areas of education existing at UAlg.
In the area of the Sea, the new training offer will mostly include a consortium application, through the project FOSTEAM@SOUTH, led by the University of Madeira, in partnership with the universities of Campus Sul (University of Évora and University of Madeira).
Within the UAlg+Skills4All At Impulso Jovens, incentive grants will be offered to new CTeSP and undergraduate students in the amount of the annual tuition fee, renewable until the completion of studies provided the student is successful in school, namely in the next academic year, 160 incentive grants will be made available, approximately 40 of which for CTeSP. The total global value foreseen for these grants is around 300 thousand euros. FOSTEAM@SOUTH will finance 21 grants for students in the fields of marine biology and science.
Incentive grants will also be made available for lifelong training, offered under the UAlg+Skills4All Boost Adults, in the total global amount of 200 thousand euros, which will cover the costs of tuition fees or emoluments.
More information on training, incentive grants and activities to be carried out within the scope of these projects can be consulted. by clicking here, on this site that is constantly being updated.
More information about training lifetime now available here.
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