"Acertar o Rumo": The Courage to Change Course

The Senate Hall of the University of Coimbra (UC) hosted the award ceremony for the 10th edition of the "Acertar o Rumo" [Change Course] programme , a joint initiative between UC, Critical Software, and Banco BPI.

Launched in 2013, the programme aims to equip university graduates facing job instability with essential skills in information technologies (IT). It features an intensive academic training period at the UC Department of Informatics Engineering, followed by a paid professional internship.

João Pedro Gonçalves realised that his desire to pursue a career as a PE teacher while staying close to his family wasn't feasible, so he decided to change course [acertar o rumo]. "I thought it was a great opportunity, so I enrolled, and I'm happy now," he said. Completing the programme proved "very positive" and led to his integration into the company’s in-house team, along with earning the Merit Award worth €4,000.

Several other prizes were awarded at the ceremony: the Excellence Award (€3,000) went to João Miguel Chambel Marques Ramos Leitão; the Recognition Award (€2,000) was shared by Carolina Neto Gonçalves and Rui Pedro Ribeiro Gonçalves; and the Incentive Award (€1,500) was awarded to Alessandra Marques dos Santos and Alexandre Miguel dos Santos Cardoso.

Describing his two years in the programme, João Pedro Gonçalves called the experience "challenging." "It's a course that teaches us how to overcome problems, which is a great advantage. It was difficult at the beginning, challenging throughout, but very rewarding and useful in the end."

Amílcar Falcão, Rector of the University of Coimbra, emphasised the transformative impact of the programme on participants' lives: "This is a course of great relevance, and we hope to replicate it in other areas. It offers people the chance to change their professional lives by acquiring new skills, and IT remains one of the most in-demand sectors in the labour market."

Artur Santos Silva, Trustee of the La Caixa Foundation, praised the initiative as exemplary and highlighted UC's role in its implementation. He noted the university’s ability to train and requalify professionals, thus actively contributing to innovation and economic development. He also underscored the importance of the UC Faculty of Sciences and Technology in demonstrating that the university "can provide a different type of education alongside its primary mission as a higher education institution."

Vítor Graveto, the course coordinator, commended UC's pioneering vision in launching the project: "Thirteen years ago, a group of visionaries identified the need for vocational retraining and developed this course. Today, we know that the employability rate of these graduates exceeds 90%."

Jorge Henriques, Director of the Department of Informatics Engineering, highlighted the programme's positive impact: "We are fostering new learning methods that promote personal and professional development. Participants have demonstrated that it is possible to 'Change Course' [Acertar o Rumo] and successfully redirect their careers."

With over 120 graduates from previous editions, "Acertar o Rumo" has proven to be an effective response to the growing demand for IT professionals in an expanding global sector, reaffirming the University of Coimbra's commitment to promoting professional integration and sustainable employability.

Find out more about the programme here.