Portugal’s FCT balance can support employee training funding when companies use it for certified training and qualification. The opportunity is more valuable when the investment is connected to a real communication problem, a clear change in behaviour and an outcome that can be observed at work.
In communication, this matters because the label “communication training” can cover very different needs. A team may need to handle difficult conversations better, make meetings more focused, improve customer responses, explain technical information more clearly or help managers give useful feedback. The clearer the problem, the easier it is to choose relevant training and assess its impact.
What Portugal’s FCT allows
Decree-Law no. 115/2023 changed the framework of the Fundo de Compensação do Trabalho (FCT) and widened the purposes for which employers may mobilise their balances. One of those purposes is this employee training funding is qualification and certified training.
The framework provides for employees of the company to benefit from these purposes. It also limits the number of withdrawals: balances below €400,000 may be drawn on up to twice; balances above that amount, up to four times.
To request a withdrawal, the employer must declare the amount, purpose and employees who will benefit, under a declaration of honour. The employer must also consult employee representative bodies. Where these do not exist, employees must be informed of the intended withdrawal at least 10 consecutive days in advance.
Timing also matters. Balances may be drawn on during the transitional framework, and the funds must be used before the FCT is wound up, scheduled for the end of 2026. Companies should confirm their balance, the procedure and supporting documents through the official Fundos de Compensação website and with their legal, financial or accounting teams. The applicable framework may depend on each company’s circumstances.
Before choosing training, identify the right communication problem
Available employee training funding can create a temptation to start with a training catalogue. A more useful starting point is the work itself: which communication difficulty is affecting performance, service or collaboration?
Some signs are easy to recognise:
- conflicts that keep returning between teams or departments
- managers who postpone feedback or difficult conversations
- long meetings that end without clear decisions
- internal messages that create different interpretations
- technical presentations that non-specialist audiences struggle to understand
- customer complaints handled inconsistently
- sales teams that find it difficult to explain value and adapt their approach
These situations do not all need the same response. A session on assertive communication may help in one context, while another may require shared criteria, clearer processes or practice with very specific situations.
A short diagnosis helps separate symptoms from causes. It may include conversations with managers, short questionnaires, examples of real messages or meetings, and identification of the situations where a change would make the greatest difference.
A broad objective such as “improve team communication” can then become something observable, such as “help managers give clear feedback, listen to the response and agree next actions” or “create a consistent approach to complex complaints while keeping responses personalised”.
Five questions to assess a communication training proposal
Before choosing a provider to use you employee training funding, compare proposals against five practical questions.
1. What should change at work?
The programme should explain what participants will be able to do differently after the training. Objectives such as structuring a difficult conversation, adapting a message to different audiences or presenting data to senior management are more useful than broad promises.
2. Do the cases reflect the company’s reality?
Training becomes easier to apply when exercises are close to real situations. Without sharing confidential information, the organisation can provide examples of meetings, messages, complaints or presentations that represent its most common challenges.
3. Is there enough time to practise and receive feedback?
Communication develops through understanding, practice and reflection. A balanced proposal should include exercises, simulations, case analysis and focused feedback. Theory provides a shared structure, while practice turns that structure into decisions and behaviour.
4. How will learning be assessed?
Assessment can combine self-assessment, observation during exercises, application plans and follow-up. The method should match the objective. If the priority is presentations, comparing a presentation before and after training can be useful. If the focus is difficult conversations, simulations with clear criteria may be more appropriate.
5. Does the proposal meet the necessary requirements?
Before contracting training, the company should confirm that the programme and supporting documentation meet the conditions applicable to FCT employee training funding mobilisation. This can include certification, identification of participants, proof of attendance, eligible costs, invoicing and evidence of how the funds were used. These points should be validated with the relevant official sources and internal teams.
From FCT employee training funding balance to a useful training plan
A simple process can organise the decision in six steps.
- Check the company’s FCT employee training funding account and confirm the available balance
- Validate the internal framework and timing, including any consultation or communication periods
- Choose one or two communication priorities with an impact on work, service or collaboration
- Request a proposal that connects objectives, content, methodology, duration, participants and assessment
- Confirm eligibility and gather the required documents before submitting the request
- Follow up after the training with simple commitments and review points
This planning avoids two losses: leaving an FCT balance unused and investing in training that does not change how people work. Employee training funding creates value when learning responds to a recognised need and is put into practice.
It is also useful to appoint an internal contact. That person can coordinate HR, finance, participants, managers and the training provider so that administrative requirements and learning decisions remain connected.
Communication training as an investment in work performance
When the diagnosis is clear, communication training can support very specific outcomes: a better customer experience, less friction between teams, clearer decisions, stronger leadership conversations and technical messages that are easier to understand.
SAB Comunicar designs communication training around real organisational challenges. The starting point is to understand where communication is creating difficulty, who needs to do something differently and which situations should be practised during the programme.
If your company has an FCT balance and is considering communication training, you can request an initial conversation and a tailored proposal. In your message, include the approximate number of participants, the main communication challenges, the preferred timing and, if known, the internal framework for the FCT request.
Before contracting, confirm the legal, financial and certification requirements that apply to your organisation so you can make effective use of your employee training funding.
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