3 July 2020: Post-COVID-19 Skills 4 for Science and Higher Education (online session)
The “Skills 4 post-COVID-19 for Science and Higher Education” initiative promoted by the Collaborative Laboratory for Work, Employment and Social Protection (CoLABOR), in cooperation with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, took place in the past July 3rd.
The session began at 3pm at CoLABOR's headquarters and was attended by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, CoLAB's team of researchers and associated university institutions, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and highly specialized professionals from the companies associated with this Laboratory, such as Mota-Engil, SONAE and Delta Cafés.
During the session, reflections and observations were shared from different experiences that contributed to an analysis around three essential aspects that support the consolidation of practices and approaches to teaching, learning, work and research to prepare for the transition to the post-COVID-19 period. The main themes addressed were, firstly, the megatrends and vulnerabilities that mark today's society and the search for strategic responses, resulting from the qualitative contributions of CoLABOR, Mota-Engil, Delta-Cafés and the ILO. Secondly, collaborative missions in emergency responses were addressed, based on the reflections of CoLABOR, CNIS and SCML, ending with the sharing of observations and reflections by CoLABOR/CES, SONAE, IEFP and INA on training offers and the place of science, technology and higher education in post-COVID-19 times.
In a working note during the session, the Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education underlined the centrality of CoLABOR for the design of qualitative contributions and for deepening the reflections that were presented around particularly timely challenges for Portugal and at a global level, namely "the issue of adopting teleworking, both in the business sector and in public administration". The Minister also considered that there is "a lot to learn and adapt to" in adapting to new working conditions.
During the closing session, the Minister challenged CoLABOR to help with contributions that support the design of job creation strategies in the context in which we live today, having been asked the following question: "Given the impact of the pandemic on employment and the situation that Europe is planning to experience in terms of economic recovery, what are the best strategies for creating jobs, especially in the context in which we find ourselves today?" He concluded by reinforcing the idea that it is "urgent to create jobs and diversify the economy", leaving a "positive message of valuing the national labor and business framework, which in the European context is classified as highly innovative, opening up space for the capacity that exists to create new jobs".
The Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, Ana Mendes Godinho, highlighted the challenges ahead: i) capacity building from a technological point of view, in terms of response mechanisms and instruments; ii) a greater focus on substance will lead to a greater capacity to provide personalized responses to people, rather than standard responses. To this end, he warns of a paradigm shift; iii) guaranteeing universal social protection systems; iv) great concern for income and regulation in the management of balances, to promote guarantees of equality in these times of fragility; v) the need to speed up a real digital transition, in all its various dimensions, in the dimension of skills training, in providing universal means so that this digital transition is really for everyone and not just for a few; and vi) a great focus on job creation.
He also highlighted the importance of initiatives such as Skills 4 post-COVID-19 for Science and Higher Education, which can "contribute to the design of measures under the Economic and Social Stabilization Programme to be implemented", and it is essential that companies and academia say and help "to bridge the gap, to say what needs to be focused on, so that there is this rapid absorption by companies and also of the resources they need".
Manuel Carvalho da Silva, CoLABOR's coordinator, stressed that the outcome of the debate presented once again confirms the reason for the existence of a collaborative laboratory with CoLABOR's characteristics in terms of agenda and research areas.
This laboratory has committed itself to continuing to work in an articulated and complementary way that opens up space and contributes to concrete proposals that are useful, particularly for public policies.
This session was broadcast live on CoLABOR's social networks and had more than 60 participants.
See the program here.