President of Portugal Cavaco Silva has called on the population, particularly the young, to “empower themselves” by furthering their education if they want to ensure a brighter future professionally.
His message came during a meeting of the Association of Entrepreneurs for Social Inclusion (EPIS) at the Palacio de Belém in Lisbon last week.
He said that regardless of the economic crisis, people should continue investing in their education as Portugal was one of the few countries where it paid off to study.
However, this is far from reality as many Portuguese graduates are currently looking for career opportunities abroad due to the lack of employment prospects in the country.
“Education leads to progress and development. If the Portuguese do not invest in their education, poverty levels in Portugal will worsen,” said the President.
During the EPIS event, founded in 2006, Cavaco Silva heard testimonies from students, teachers and education specialists who are fighting against school failure and drop-outs.
