President Campaigning

What is Jorge Sampaio playing at?

After ten years of invisibility, he is spending his last three months running round the country, pointing out all that is wrong. What's the point? He's not going to leave a legacy - it's too late.

And then he starts on Higher Education - "we need more graduates". "It's wrong to close degree courses with less than ten students". Both statements are superficial.

Why can't he take his five years off quietly and make way for the Presidential Election Circus.


Graduate Unemployment

Why is there so much graduate unemployment in Portugal? Because the mix of courses is wrong, that's clear. What can the country possibly do with so many Economics graduates, for example? But that's only the surface.

I avoid recruiting new graduates because they are little use to me. They have theoretical knowledge but no skills. Most of them can't even write a letter or draft a memo or report in Portuguese.

In a small company you can't afford the luxury of taking on unskilled staff. What I value is experience.

Meanwhile, the Education Ministry is faced with a monumental task in turning the Higher Education establishment away from what they want to teach, towards what employers need. Either that, or send everybody to Hotel and Tourism Schools, so that at least service to tourists is improved. That's quite a safe bet for the future, as climate change is relatively slow...