Forty-one young Mozambicans, from all provinces of the country, are about to begin a new academic phase in Portugal.
Thanks to partial scholarships, students will attend mid-level technical-professional courses at two prestigious institutions, namely the Agricultural School of Carvalhais and the Arts School of Covilhã, starting in the 2025/2026 academic year.
This initiative is part of the cooperation between Mozambique and Portugal and paves the way for training in strategic areas such as tourism, cooking, pastry, oenology, restaurant and bar development, communication and marketing, among others.
During the farewell ceremony in Maputo, the Secretary of State for Tourism, Fredson Bacar, highlighted the importance of training these young people to address one of the greatest challenges facing the tourism sector in Mozambique: the shortage of specialized human capital.
"Despite the enormous tourism potential, the lack of qualified professionals compromises our country's competitiveness as a destination," Bacar stated.
The minister recalled that since 2012, the National Institute of Tourism (INATUR) has established partnerships with foreign entities to promote training in tourism and hospitality, having already awarded 71 scholarships.
The new wave of 41 students joins others who have been in Portugal since 2023. The expectation is that starting in 2026, they will be able to pursue higher education, consolidating a training path designed to meet the demands of the sector.
"This is not just about fulfilling an individual dream, but also about the trust our country places in us. We want to return more qualified and contribute to the modernization of tourism and the development of the national economy," shared some of the students.
(By Renaldo Manhice)
