Casais Group is recruiting and training employees from Guinea-Bissau, in partnership with the Training Institute for Portuguese-Speaking Countries (IFCPLP) designed to boost human resource training, capacity building and mobility in the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries). The project’s goal is to improve technical and vocational skills and provide training for integration into working life. After a training and performance appraisal process, the Casais Group entered into contracts of employment in Portugal with selected candidates from Guinea-Bissau.
The trainees are already working in Portugal, having completed three weeks’ training in their home country. They have had a week of onboarding and integration in Portugal and will now continue their training.
The project’s three main objectives are to combat illegal immigration into Portugal, improve the competences of CPLP citizens, particularly Bissau-Guineans, and address the skilled labour shortage in Portugal, felt acutely in its construction sector.
“We are very proud to see this project moving forward in partnership with IFCPLP. Casais Group is fully committed to the development of the sector and technological transfer in construction. One of our goals is to move towards sustainable construction and for this to happen, we need a skilled and valued workforce. Trained human resources are key to this development. We are taking this significant step in the Casais Group’s history to help develop the sector, support the reversal of risky emigration, and train the workforce in Guinea-Bissau’s civil construction sector. Our employees are our greatest assets and that’s why it’s so important to invest in training,” says António Carlos Rodrigues, CEO of the Casais Group.
This initiative consists of several phases. It began with publicising the project, and then the selection and recruitment of candidates in Guinea-Bissau who met the established eligibility requirements to apply for this offer of employment and training. The Training Institute for Portuguese-Speaking Countries (IFCPLP) handled all documentation issues and work visa applications, and it will ensure social welfare and professional monitoring of the workers throughout the project.
The initial theoretical and practical training was provided by the IFCPLP in collaboration with the Casais Group. Of those who participated in this initial training, 60% were selected for the project in Portugal and signed an employment contract. The remaining 40% were placed in a pool of workers who will be able to work for local companies in Guinea-Bissau. The Casais Group project is contributing to the training of these Bissau-Guinean workers locally.
The initial training programme included a specific approach, with objectives tailored to the project, including the teaching of various practical skills, such as masonry, plastering, screeding and tiling.
The initiative resulted in several partners being identified, including associations, public and private bodies and construction-specific training centres. These partners helped to publicise the training and employment opportunities and pre-selected candidates for the project.
