Recruitment of

Healthcare professionals
in Portugal
Oslo, 14th May 2014

Outline
Country & labour market
Current labor market situation for
healthcare personnel

Educational system
Language skills / level & courses
Events

Outline

Work culture
Salary and expenses
Jobseekers expectations
Recruitment
EURES expectations towards employers

Area: 92,412

km2

Portugal

Territorial organization: 5 regions in the Mainland,

2 Autonomous regions (Azores & Madeira archipelagos)
Capital: Lisboa (Lisbon)
Population: 10.562.178 (Census 2011)
Active Population:
5.392.000 (3rd Q 2013)
Unemployment Rate:
16,3% (September 2013)
Currency: Euro
Official language: Portuguese
GDP Growth Rate: 1,9% (2010); -1,3% (2011);
-3,2% (2012); -1,4% (forecast 2013);
+1,6% forecast 2014)
Per Capita GDP (PPS): 76% EU28 avg. (2012)
Minimum Wage: 485,00 Euros / month (2014)
Inflation Rate: -0,4% (March 2014 / 2013)
4

Labour market

Labour Market
Registered unemployment (Jan. 2007/ March 2014)
689,825
unemployed jobseekers
750000
700000
650000
600000
550000
500000
450000
400000
350000
300000

Source: IEFP (March 2014)

Unemployment Rate: 15,2%

Youth Unemployment Rate: 35,4%

Source: Eurostat (March 2014)

Labour Market
Main graduate surpluses

Graduates in Economics, Management & other Business

Sciences (including Accountancy, Sales, Marketing and
Advertising) + than 51.700

Teachers (mostly Secondary School Teachers) + than 28.500

Engineers (Civil / Construction, Chemical, Electro, Agronomy,

Environmental, Mechanical,) & Architects + than 25.800

IT Analysts, Programmers & Assistants + than 14.300

Nurses, Physiotherapists, Pharmacists & several Life

Science Technicians + than 15.700

Social Workers, Psychologists & HR + than 9.900

7

Labour Market
Surpluses of Healthcare Professionals
(registered in IEFP PES)

Nurses & Midwives 2.475

Physiotherapists 2.089

Pharmacists 1.743

Pharmacologists & Pathologists 664

Dieticians & Nutricionists 615

Dentists 361

Medical Doctors 15

Labour Market
Surpluses of Healthcare Professionals
Other intermediate Life Science & Healthcare professionals

Life Science Technicians (incl. Lab Analysts) 2.657

Personal Care Workers 2.450

Medical Equipment Operators(incl. Radiology, Radiotherapy &

Cardio-pulmonography Technicians) 1.233

Other Health Associate Professionals (incl. Occupational &

Speech Therapists and Audiometry Technicians) 932

Pharmaceutical Assistants 887

Dental Assistants 391

Optometrists & Opticians 390

10

Educational System

11

Educational System

Pre-School
Education

Basic Education

Secondary
Education

PostSecondary
Education

Higher Education
University Education

1st cycle

kindergarten

2nd cycle

3rd cycle

Courses:

Technological
Specialisation
Courses

Scientific-Humanistic
Technological
Specialised Artistic
Professional

Graduate

Master

Polytechnics
Education
Graduate

5 6

9 10

11 12

1st, 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

6th 7th

17 18

14 15

8th

Compulsory Education

9th

10th

11th

12th

1st
2nd

19

Doctor

Master

Ages

18

20

1st

2nd
3rd

21

22

1st

2nd

Schooling
Years

Educational System
Explanation of Degrees
Before Bologna
4 years Bachelor / Degree
6 years Specialized Studies
8+...years Master
7 years + PhD (Doutoramento)
After Bologna
4 years Degree
6 years - Master
8 years - PhD

Educational System
MEDICAL DOCTORS
Basic Medical Degree (Integrated Master): 6 years
Recognition for the practice of Medicine by the Medical
Doctors Order is mandatory, and requires 2 years of
practical clinical internship in University Hospitals
Specialization requires 5 years of theoretical & practical
internship in University
The Medical Doctors Order awards specialty / sub-specialty
in almost 60 different areas

Educational System
NURSING
Main specializations (educational offer):

Community Nursing

Medical and Surgical Nursing

Rehabilitation Nursing

Infant Health Nursing & Paediatrics

Maternal Health Nursing & Midwifery / Obstetrics

Mental Health Nursing & Psychiatrics

The Nurses Order, responsible for regulating
access to the Nurse professional practice,
awards the title of Specialist Nurse in these 6 areas.

Educational System
PHARMACIST
5 years Master
Fields of activity:

Clinical Analysis

Regulatory Issues

Pharmaceutical Distribution

Pharmaceutical Teaching

Community Pharmacy

Hospital Pharmacy

Pharmaceutical Industry

Recognition by the Order of Pharmacists is mandatory

Educational System
DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT TECHNICIANS
5 years Master
Some fields of activity:

Clinical Analysis and Public Health Technician

Radiology Technician
Radiotherapy Technician
Dietician
Pharmacy Technician
Physiotherapist
Dental Hygienist
Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Professional practice must be recognized / authorized

by the Health Ministry

Educational System
Quality of Education: Languages
ENGLISH

Extensive use in many Universities and Polytechnic Institutes

Significant presence in ERASMUS exchange programmes
Many course books in English
NORWEGIAN / SCANDINAVIAN LANGUAGES
Increasing access to learning Scandinavian languages
(mostly Swedish and Norwegian):

some language schools

courses provided in a (still limited) number of Universities
e-learning solutions accessible to the academic community

Salaries: NURSES
Wages are usually referred to on a monthly basis
The equivalent to 14 months is paid per year.
Level of
experience

EUR

NOK

Nurse

14.280 14.910

115.954 121.069

Graduate Nurse

16.030 31.192

130.164 253.279

Specialist Nurse

19.166 35.700

155.628 289.884

Head Nurse

22.554 37.576

183.139 305.117

Supervisor Nurse

23.800 39.830

193.256 323.420

Ref. exchange rate: 1 EUR 8,12 NOK

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Salaries: DOCTORS
Wages are usually referred to on a monthly basis
The equivalent to 14 months is paid per year.
Level of experience

EUR

NOK

19.460 22.708

158.015 184.389

Assistant Doctor

38.444 44.212

312.165 359.001

Graduate Assistant

44.940 50.708

364.913 411.749

Senior Graduate Assistant

(Head of Service)

56.476 70.882

458.585 575.562

General Practice
(non-specialist)

Ref. exchange rate: 1 EUR 8,12 NOK

21

Work Culture
and Mobility

22

Work culture
Portuguese workers are:
Generally reserved, but observant
Tolerant to difference and open to experiments
Expectations:

New life and professional experience

Better working and living conditions
Recognised skills:
Good command of the English language
Good level of academic qualifications
Social skills: kindness, easy going, sense of duty,
Ability to solve new problems / Adaptability / Creativity
Portuguese are much better working than marketing themselves
(mostly when applying)

Mobility of Portuguese
Healthcare professionals
Due to:
Universities transnational projects / Erasmus & others
Decrease in the number of job opportunities in Portugal
(public Healthcare system no longer recruiting on a permanent
basis)

Salaries and working conditions in Portugal being

increasingly degraded also in the Healthcare sector
(short-term contracts / precariousness, no room for
progression / career development)

Other countries: UK, Belgium, Germany,

Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden,

Mobility of Portuguese
Healthcare professionals
The National Healthcare System is still the biggest employer
in the sector in Portugal
In recent years, Healthcare services are increasingly
outsourced, even in the Public National Healthcare System
(temporary work delivered by healthcare professionals service
companies)
Working hours: basic rule is 40 hours / week, but work by
shifts (which can vary during a month) and paid extra time are
a very common practice
Younger, less experienced professionals usually tend to be
more motivated to work abroad

Mobility of Portuguese
Healthcare professional
Challenges when moving to Norway

Norway is far away from home and family

Norwegian language seems very difficult to learn

Norway is an expensive country

Lack of knowledge about the process of recognition, integration

and careers

Other countries open channels to mobility (ex: UK)

Challenge for a Portuguese healthcare professional in moving to Norway

would be the weather and the food / meal break (in the beginning), but
Portuguese are also very good adapting to new circumstances.

Mobility of Portuguese
Healthcare professional
Motivations when moving to Norway
Better working conditions and salaries
Work-life balance / Family-friendly country
Norwegian appeal / confidence in the future of the country
Belief in the stability of the Norwegian social system and
institutions

Experiences &
Results so far

28

Experiences & Results so far

In Norway:
an undetermined number of Doctors and Nurses have been
placed in Norwegian healthcare institutions mainly as a result
of family reunion
poor experience in the area due to the few jobs announced
in the 1st EURES event dedicated to the healthcare sector in
Portugal (Healthcare Mobility Day, 1st April) a Norwegian
company interviewed 24 applicants for its job vacancy for
Pharmaceuticals
A strategy for approaching the Portuguese candidates in
this sector is required

Experiences & Results so far

Cooperation EURES Norway & Portugal
since 2007

Key success factors:

Knowledge & integration

Face-to-face contact
English as a working language
Follow-up
Good partners & cooperation with EURES Norway

Experiences & Results so far

Swedish Experience with Radiologists

Previous work:
Presentation about shortage for health professionals 2010
EURES Portugal organization of Sweden Day - May 24, 2011
Visit to the Porto School of Health Technology - May 25, 2011
Analysis and definition of performance strategy - 2012/2013

Recruitment Action
The company defines the desired profile January 2014
Registration, publishing, advertising the Job Offer and
collecting applications - February to April 2014
Pre-selection and 12 jobseekers invitation for an interview 2nd April, during the Healthcare Mobility Day event in Lisbon
Invitation to 8 candidates to visit the company in Sweden in
May 2014

Admissions: 5 to 8

Experiences & Results so far

SOME POINTS TO HAVE IN MIND
Importance of clearing up the profile and providing as
much detail as possible about the recruitment steps /
process
Dissemination in schools, student and professional
associations (including Orders) and social media reaching all professionals
Fact sheet about Norway aimed at Healthcare jobseekers:
o
o
o
o

top 10 professions in the Healthcare sector

information about the recognition procedures & authorities,
salaries and careers
the admission process: length, support to housing, family..
the language learning process: place / duration / level

Recruitment
Services

33

Recruitment Services

Advertise
job vacancies

Collect job search

applications

Job Centres, SMSs / e-mailings to

PES jobseekers database,
national websites
(www.netemprego.pt,
www.iefp.pt/eures), event websites,
newspapers, specialized healthcare
jobs forums, Healthcare universities
and other partners

Information,
pre-selection,
application handling

Recruitment Services
JV promotion & handling
Special section for jobs abroad in our internal system
(SIGAE) & in our public job bank NETemprego

35

Recruitment Services
JV promotion: info requirements
Wage references
Language skills
Support to finding accommodation
Professional experience
Estimated contract duration
Estimated starting date
Contract with recruiting agency / final recruiter?
How to apply & selection procedure
36

Recruitment Services
EURES Advisers in Portugal
2 in the national Coordination
12 at the regional level (2 in the
Autonomous Regions - Azores
and Madeira)
15 in Local Units (in Job Centres)
1 in ACISAT

29 EURES Advisers

37

Recruitment Services
Recruitment Process

Sessions, workshops,
individual interviews, logistic
support, support to employers
during the interviews,
reference checking (when required)
CLOSED RECRUITMENTS FOR
SELECTED COMPANIES
always available
(besides Open Fairs)

Evaluation of the
Recruitment Process

Follow-up with employers /

EURES advisers / jobseekers

Recruitment Services
EVENTS
No more big Healthcare events planned for 2014
(still evaluating the Healthcare Mobility Day), but
always open & available to:
welcome recruitment activities in PES / EURES
venues (or partnering Schools) and basic support in the
pre-selection stage
Including (if requested by Norway) organising a small
closed recruitment event, only for (3 to 5) Norwegian
employers
support (referenced by NAV) Norwegian employers
participation in targeted / University jobfairs
in the Healthcare sector in Portugal

Your Contact EURES Advisers

in Portugal:
Ndia Figueiredo
Torres Vedras Job Centre
Phone: +351 261 330 154
Email: nidia.figueiredo@iefp.pt

Dora Silva
Coimbra IEFP Centre Regional Office
Phone: +351 239 860 895
Email: dora.silva@iefp.pt

in Norway:
please contact your nearest / regional EURES Adviser:

www.nav.no/eures

Welcome to Portugal!!!

43

Thank you! Takk!

Ndia Figueiredo
Phone: +351 261 330 154
Email: nidia.figueiredo@iefp.pt