CEPROF - CENTROS ESCOLARES DE ENSINO PROFISSIONAL LDA

CEPROF stands for "Centros Escolares de Ensino Profissional", which means "VET School Centres. It is an SME constituted in 1991 specifically for the creation of the Vocational School of Espinho (ESPE – Escola Profissional de Espinho) – also created in 1991 and is one of the oldest VET schools in Portugal (until 2004 all VET schools in Portugal were private). Why the need for an SME to minister a VET School? Because the Portuguese legislation determines that the Private VET schools (Escolas Profissionais) must be created by a person, enterprise, association or an international organization that assumes the legal fiscal and financial responsibilities of the school (DL 92/2014). Therefore, under these legal contains, CEPROF was created as an enterprise whose unique business activity is to own, manage and legally represent ESPE and for this reason CEPROF falls in the national legal framework of the “institutions of public interest” (DL 92/2014). ESPE/CEPROF has the permission to be constituted as VET school “Autorização de Funcionamento nr 27” and is accredited by the Portuguese Ministry of Education. ESPE is national leader in elaborating and in providing VET training on new technologies. This can be demonstrated for the 3 national champion titles in the national competitions on school robotics of the last 5 years, and for the minor titles obtained in representation of Portugal in the World School Robotics competition in the last 5 years, which were obtained in Italy, Germany and China (http://espe.pt/competicoes-escolares/robotica/ ). In Portugal the VET schools have the tradition to be predominantly frequented by students of the lower socio-economical strata and ESPE is no exception. Furthermore, the lowest socioeconomical strata are the ones that usually have higher rates of digital illiteracy, that in Espinho were enhanced by the economic difficulties that the many unemployed families are facing. Together it indicates that within the three years of the duration of the VET trainings offered by ESPE, CEPROF has been able to transform standard students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and consequently low digital literacy into national references in robotics. At the level of 3D Printing, CEPROF has several 3D printers, a Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machine for moulding in metal, and simulators, all for the open use of the trainees. The trainees are trained on the use of these machines and they can use them also after the regular classes, for the development of their projects. With this open access, CEPROF stimulates the innovation made by the trainees, which results in regular awards. For example the national press reported that ESPE/CEPROF is producing 200 clinical masks per day to donate to institutions in the region, using innovative technologies and partnerships with local enterprises, during the pandemics of COVID-19 ( https://www.sabado.pt/portugal/detalhe/covid-19-escola-profissional-de-espinho-vai-produzir-150-a-200-viseiras-por-dia ) ESPE/CEPROF also embeds a “Centre for vocational guidance and counselling” through its Centre for Qualifications (Centro Qualifica). This centre provides not only personalised vocational guidance and counselling by technicians of this Centre (usually Psychologists), but also validation and certification of professional competences of people over 21 years old. In this process of validation and certification of professional competences the trainees are coached for the elaboration of a portfolio in which they show their professional competences, and are forward to further training to complement the missing competences.