In the past decades, higher education in Europe underwent significant reforms instigated by the Bologna Process and concerted efforts aimed at making tertiary education more socially and economically relevant (OECD, 2022).

In the context of the changing learning landscape, short-cycle higher education programs—referred to in Portugal as Cursos Técnicos Superiores Profissionais (CTeSP)—have emerged as an innovative learning opportunity aimed at addressing regional economic and social demands, enhancing employability, and consolidating alliances among higher education institutions, local government, and the private sector. This narrative literature review presents an in-depth examination of the research and data available on the development, implementation, and effects of CTeSP within the Portuguese educational system, covering themes such as curriculum design, pedagogy, career outcomes, and institutional strategies for collaboration with local stakeholders.

A hybrid methodology involving both systematic and narrative techniques was employed throughout the review process, which entailed searching relevant publications in databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and the OECD Library. The sources were selected based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, thereby ensuring academic quality through the use of peer-reviewed articles, institutional reports, and established studies published between 2014 and 2024.

The literature identifies CTeSP as being more vocationally-oriented and professionally-driven study programmes, typically completed in two years (120 ECTS), and encompassing curricular internships aimed at providing students with professional and practice experiences. Throughout Portugal, polytechnics have introduced these short-cycle programs with varying success in regional employment opportunities and development. Several of the polytechnics have established strategic collaborations with municipalities and local businesses, hence enabling internships and co-designing of curriculum materials that are strongly connected to the regional labor market demands.

Collaborative approaches help enhance the employability of students and contribute to regional development by producing a highly qualified workforce directly attuned to local economic demands. In spite of these encouraging results, recent research identifies continuing issues, including questions about the scalability and sustainability of short-cycle programs, particularly their reliance on European funding mechanisms and variability in local economic conditions.

In addition, the literature calls for the need to come up with more developed frameworks of academic and institutional recognition, more clearly defined pathways for progression to later stages of education, and more robust pedagogical innovations intended to counteract dropout and enhance student retention.

In total, this paper integrates current knowledge while highlighting priority areas for additional research to guide educational policy and institutional strategy. It emphasizes the need for ongoing innovation in short-cycle higher education practice to adapt to changing social and economic demands.

Keywords: Short-cycle higher education, CTeSP, employability, vocational training, regional development, Portugal, polytechnic training.