Only 44 Immigrants Enrolled in AIMA's Construction Training Scheme, Against 500 Places on Offer
The Integrar para a Construção programme pays a grant for four months of training and a work placement in trades from plumbing to plasterboard. Its second intake, planned for September, still has no date.
A training programme launched by Portugal's migration agency, AIMA, to prepare immigrants for jobs in construction has filled fewer than one in ten of its places. Of the 500 places planned, 44 people enrolled and are attending the first cycle of "Integrar para a Construção", according to figures the builders' association AICCOPN gave to Dinheiro Vivo and DN. That is about 8.8 percent.
AICCOPN said a second cycle, with new places, is being prepared, but no start date has been set. When AIMA launched the programme in June, its published calendar put the second cycle in September 2026, with the third and fourth in the first half of 2027.
What the programme offers
AIMA runs the programme with the employment and training institute IEFP, AICCOPN, the construction industry training centre CICCOPN and the Ageas Foundation, under the government's Action Plan for Migration. It is aimed at immigrants living legally in Portugal, applicants for and holders of international protection, and people with temporary protection, such as those who fled the war in Ukraine.
The course combines 300 hours of technical training with a 300-hour work placement in a company, about four months in total. Training takes place at CICCOPN and, where needed, in other IEFP centres. The trades on offer are assistant electrician, plumbing, finish carpentry, formwork carpentry, plasterboard and external insulation (ETICS), construction machinery, and painting and finishing. Companies taking part also get training for the tutors and mentors who supervise trainees.
Participants receive a training grant, which Dinheiro Vivo reports can reach 537 euros a month during the classroom phase and 269 euros during the placement, plus a meal allowance, transport allowance where applicable, protective equipment and personal accident insurance. AIMA says the programme has a budget of about 2.5 million euros, funded by AIMA and CICCOPN/IEFP, to train 500 people in 25 groups.
Who can apply
According to AIMA, candidates must be over 18, hold valid documents proving their legal status in Portugal, not be studying full time, not be retired or on long-term sick leave, be able to communicate in Portuguese, and show an interest in working in construction. Applications for the first cycle were made through AIMA's online contact form, selecting "Candidatura a Programas" and the programme's name, with proof of tax address, a Portuguese bank account IBAN in the applicant's name and proof of employment status. Selection involves a document check and an individual interview. The rules are set out in AIMA Deliberation n.º 684-A/2026.
A sector short of workers
Construction is one of the sectors that relies most on foreign labour in Portugal, and employers have long complained about a shortage of qualified workers. AICCOPN says the programme's aim is to bring vocational training closer to what companies actually need and to give firms direct contact with future workers. It is part of a wider AIMA initiative, "Integrar para o Mercado", which also includes a tourism programme now in its second edition.
Neither AIMA nor AICCOPN has explained why so few places were taken up. The Portuguese language requirement, the modest grant compared with construction wages, and the fact that many immigrants already working in the sector cannot easily stop for four months may all play a part. Anyone interested in a future cycle can ask AIMA at [email protected].
