The Portuguese Labour Code sets forth in its Section 131, paragraph 3, that the continuous training to be provided to employees can be carried out directly by their employer. Being the case, a professional training certificate must be issued and the record of such training in the individual skills register form must be done, according to the Portuguese Skills Systems Legal Regime. Continuous training may also be provided by a training certified entity or by a competent educational establishment.

Under this context, two Administrative Regulations were published on July 8th, 2010, i.e., Regulation nr. 474/2010 and Regulation nr. 475/2010, approving the following forms: the Professional Training Certificate and the Individual Skills Register.  

The above mentioned certificate is a document where it is attested the attendance of the individual at the professional training session and the respective conclusion with success. Where the training criteria of assessment is the mere attendance of the individual, the certificate to be issued does not have to respect the form recently approved and above identified.

The Individual Skills Register Form consists in a document where it is registered (and therefore it is easy to evidence) the skills and the training attended by an individual all over his working life.

Those forms have to be obtained throughout electronic means by having access to the system SIGO – Sistema de Informação e Gestão da Oferta Educativa e Formativa.

The entry into force of these new forms is July 9th, 2010, as long as the training sessions and the recognition procedures to which they are applicable have already took place.