The Human Capital Operational Program (PO CH) was approved by the European Commission Decision of 12 December 2014, revised by the European Commission Implementing Decision of 29 November 2018 and by the European Commission Implementing Decision of 21 September 2020. It aims to contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to economic, social and territorial cohesion. Achieving the Europe 2020 targets is based on five major objectives:
1. Promotion of academic success and reduction of early school-leaving (ESL);
2. Improvement of employability through the adjustment between supply and demand in the labour market;
3. Increased attractiveness of Higher Education and number of graduates;
4. Improvement of the adult population qualifications;
5. Promoting the quality and regulation of the education and training system.
For this purpose, the HCOP has five funding axes with a financial allocation available
according to the priority of investment:
Axis 1 - Promotion of educational success, tackling early school-leaving
Axis 2 - Increase of higher education and advanced training
Axis 3 - Learning, lifelong learning qualification
Axis 4 - Quality and innovation of the education and training system
Axis 5 - Technical support
The field of "Human Capital" is of the
greatest strategic importance for Portugal, as this return on investment allows
for the correction of structural imbalances that still persist between the
country and the most developed Member States of the European Union (EU), be it
on social inequalities or in economic terms, regarding indicators for
productivity, schooling and competitive specialisation of the economy. A smart
investment on human capital is the most sustainable driving force for the
development and fostering of economic and social convergence.
The Management Authority of the Human Capital
Operational Programme, created by the Portuguese Council of Ministers Resolution n.º 73-B/2014, from 16th
December 2014, is a mission structure in the Central State Administration.
We are organized according to the following structure:
These operational sectors are aided by the
existence of four project teams, with specific functions within the scope of
the OP, in particular the Management Information System, which supports the
development of the information system supporting the Programme, ensuring the
quality of operation of their respective application systems.
