Amidst snacks and gin glasses, the employment fair “Another Day at The Office” (ADATO) introduces a model to attract young talent, aiming to address the shortage of qualified workers caused by the competitive draw of other European countries.
Organized at the end of March by the Junior Enterprise of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Porto (JuniFEUP), the fair saw participation from several students who prefer to stay in Portugal but consider emigrating due to the “high cost of living” in their home country.
“It’s too high, and the fact that the salary can no longer cover all expenses,” drives 21-year-old Filipa Mota, a master’s student in Engineering and Industrial Management, to consider joining her family — also emigrated — in search of better living conditions.
This sentiment is echoed by 18-year-old Tomás Amaral, an undergraduate in the same field, who noted that family is his only reason for staying in Portugal.
“Living conditions, career, salary, and opportunities are better abroad,” he said, aligning with a study presented in February by the Academic Federation of Porto’s Study Center (CEFAP), which indicated that 73% of young individuals enrolled in a study program last academic year were certain or highly likely to emigrate after completing their studies.
Meanwhile, Miguel Oliveira, a 20-year-old student of Electrical and Computer Engineering, expressed a preference to remain in Portugal, provided he finds an opportunity he deems advantageous.
“For work, ideally, I would like to live in Portugal because, although economically it is not that strong, the climate and food are quite appealing. I have my family and friends here, and partly because of that, if I can find an opportunity that I think is worthwhile, I would like to stay,” explained the student.
Employment fairs and summer internships have been identified by young individuals as factors that could influence their decision to stay in Portugal.
“If companies come to showcase their work, students become increasingly interested. A conversation is much better than reading online about what people do, and it is much more practical,” highlighted Miguel Oliveira.
Companies face challenges in retaining talent, as explained by Marta Martins, head of the Human Resources Department at the ABB Group, who emphasized the “scarce” labor force in Portugal, which sometimes forces companies to hire foreign professionals to compensate for the exodus of young Portuguese.
João Santos, managing director of Volkswagen Financial Services (VWFS) in Porto, argued that it is crucial for companies to offer attractive conditions like competitive salaries, health insurance, and favorable telework policies to retain young talent.
To attract new generations, companies believe it is necessary to adapt communication channels, using digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
“We want to be a little closer to this [young] audience,” underlined Ana Leonor Mota, a member of the human resources department at MC Sonae.
Young people also believe the government plays a crucial role in creating measures to prevent the talent drain.
“In political terms, I think there could be more IRS bonuses or other bonuses for younger people. I know that the young credit is already starting, but it’s not enough for the conditions we know, compared to other countries, we have,” argued Filipa Mota.
While some consider leaving, Marco Sousa, a cleaner in Switzerland, and Guilherme Pereira, a doctor emigrated to Germany, have already left Portugal, citing the same reasons for staying abroad.
“I worked with invoices. Then I went to a school thinking it would be much better and continued with invoices. I reached a point where I gave up and preferred to start from scratch. I opted for a balanced life instead of fighting against the current,” mentioned Marco Sousa, a sports graduate, via videoconference.
The 32-year-old recognizes that Switzerland is “a much more expensive country,” but the average salary, which “ranges from 24 to 32 francs per hour,” about “3,500 to 4,000 euros per month,” allows “saving quite a bit of money.”
Physiatrist Guilherme Pereira, 26, decided early on to start learning German, aiming to have a “Plan B.” “Later, I did a semester of Erasmus, and it was there that Plan B became Plan A,” noted the emigrant, who highlighted his experiences in the exchange program as full of valuable opportunities.
“In Portugal, when someone experiments with a specialty and doesn’t like it, they are forced to abandon that specialty, retake the exam and the entire study process, and retake the exam to get a spot in a different specialty. Here in Germany, it’s not like that; you apply, and if I don’t like my job, after two months, I can leave,” stated the doctor, emphasizing that this “flexibility is the best argument in favor of the career.”
Emigrating is not an “easy or cheap process,” he said, and only the easy access to flights makes him not feel that Portugal is so far away.
