5 de Fevereiro de 2024 às 10:41

SENAI has helped train more than 70,000 students in 11 countries on three continents

Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (SENAI) is a benchmark in vocational education in Brazil. The institution offers services in 28 areas of industrial activity, with multidisciplinary teams, state-of-the-art facilities, and its own methodologies. Now, what you might not know is that this expertise is not limited to Brazilian borders.

Through collaboration with companies, public institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cooperation agencies, and international organizations, SENAI has helped to set up Vocational Training Centers on three continents and in 11 countries, where more than 70,000 people have been trained. Global activities are shared between the National Department and SENAI's state units.

Senai in the world
Together with Agência Brasileira de Cooperação (ABC), SENAI trains workers in 11 countries on 3 continents.

The first vocational training center opened in 1999 in Cazenga, Angola. At the time, ABC, in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), invested US$ 1.2 million.

Despite being rich in diamonds, oil, and iron ore that year, the country was going through a civil war. The conflict destroyed the little infrastructure in Cazenga and further reduced the workforce employed in the country's economy.

At the time, courses began in handicrafts, construction, industrial sewing, building and industrial electricity, IT, diesel mechanics, baking, confectionery, and industrial refrigeration.

There was prior consultation with the government and the private sector for the choice of specialties. SENAI São Paulo was the managing partner of the project, which worked with the Angolan Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security (MAPESS) and the Instituto Nacional do Emprego e Formação Profissional da Angola (INEFOP).

The Vocational Training Center was one of the tools found by the Angolan government to repair the damage caused by the conflict. Although there was already a technical education center in Cazenga, built in 1972, ABC was contacted to expand the initiative because of the war.

And it worked! In the first five years of adaptation, 2,984 students graduated - 98.4% of the 3,031 enrolled. SENAI also trained 180 instructors and 12 managers to work directly in the centers.

Data from the World Bank, refined by Our World in Data, shows that Angola's Historical Human Development Index (HIHD) grew by seven points from 1995 to 2004.

History of Human Development

The index is based on a summary measure of the country's average performance in three key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a dignified life.

Angola

With the pilot project's success, SENAI has made a name for itself internationally. The idea gained visibility among Brazilian governments, companies, and Angolan organizations, which began demanding similar projects.

Always in line with the principles of South-South Cooperation and Brazil's technical cooperation strategy, SENAI has achieved international notoriety: it won the 2010 South-South Cooperation Excellence Award. It was ranked among the top three institutions in the "Quality Education" category by the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation.

In the same period, Centro Interamericano para o Desenvolvimento do Conhecimento em Formação Profissional (Cinterfor) of the International Labor Organization (ILO) recognized SENAI as a model institution for vocational education in Latin America.

For the International Relations Superintendent of Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI), Frederico Lamego, the export of knowledge has not only projected the work of the institution on behalf of companies operating abroad but has also changed the lives of the inhabitants of the respective countries.

"It's a demonstration of SENAI's ability to carry out complex projects in totally different countries, whether Portuguese, English, or Spanish-speaking. At the same time, it's an accreditation for SENAI to be recognized internationally for its agenda in Brazil and to take this expertise abroad," he said.

"Our main goal is for the country to become attractive to Brazilian companies that will internationalize in the future. They will go knowing that in these countries where we are working, they will be able to count on skilled labor and qualified technological services of the SENAI standard, just like in Brazil," adds the superintendent.

Success stories

The experience in Angola was so successful that other countries sought the support of ABC, JICA, and other international organizations to set up new units in partnership with the National Department of SENAI. See below, in chronological order, the centers that were created later:

East Timor

The Timor-Leste Vocational Training Center has been through many comings and goings because it was set up in 2000 during a tense and violent time in the quest for independence from Indonesia, which annexed the Timorese territory in 1976. The international community recognized East Timor as an independent country in 2002.

The first phase of the center's construction began through a partnership with Timor-Leste's State Secretariat for Vocational Training and Employment (Sefope) and the National Vocational Training Center.

Between 2000 and 2014, at least 3,000 people were trained in carpentry, industrial sewing, building electricity, hydraulics, IT, computer network maintenance, carpentry, motorcycle mechanics, baking, bricklaying, and refrigeration. SENAI SP also managed the project in the village of Becora, located in the Timorese capital, Dili.

The initiative was part of efforts to rebuild the country, which suffered from the effects of socio-economic and educational decline. ABC has invested around US$ 2.8 million in the project. Starting in 2024, ABC will inject US$7 million into a new stage, in which the educational center will be expanded and modernized.

Paraguay

SENAI's contribution to developing the Paraguayan vocational education network is another example of technical cooperation. The current Vocational Training Center in Hernandarias is the result of collaboration between ABC, SENAI, and Paraguay's National Service for Professional Promotion (SNPP).

The renovation and modernization of the Paraguayan facilities began in 2002, and the center received 18 Mobile Units to offer courses to neighborhood associations and town halls.

ABC's US$ 1.7 million contribution made it possible to expand the Hernandarias Center, expanding access to quality vocational training. The project was carried out with the support of the SENAI Paraná Regional Department.

So far, more than 50,000 Paraguayans have been trained in various fields, such as metal mechanics, electricity, electronics, car electricity, motorcycle mechanics, refrigeration, construction, industrial sewing, diesel mechanics, IT, and automation.

Cape Verde

Made up of ten islands covering 4,000 square kilometers, Cape Verde is one of the smallest countries in the world. Size does not diminish the need for good training.

Set up in 2004, the Employment and Vocational Training Center in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, had trained more than 2,500 students by 2015 in construction, locksmithing, IT, electricity, and food courses. At the time, ABC injected more than US$ 1.1 million into the initiative.

A study carried out in 2016 indicated an improvement in the employability of 70% of young people trained in Cape Verdean centers. On average, a graduate takes less than five months to find a job. In addition, 94% of local companies were satisfied with the performance of the centers' alums, who were considered better prepared for the job market.

SENAI from Ceará took part in the work in the African country. The Cape Verdean institution coordinating the project was the General Directorate for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities (DGCI/MNECC). The executing agency was the Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP).

Guinea-Bissau

A few years later, in 2005, ABC began setting up the Vocational Training Center in Guinea-Bissau in carpentry, plumbing, cutting and sewing, electricity, computer maintenance, car mechanics, baking, construction, refrigeration, and locksmithing. FIESP took the lead on this project on behalf of the Brazilian industry.

At least 6,000 people have already benefited from this partnership, which has received a total investment of US$ 2.8 million. The Guinean Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Modernization coordinated, and SENAI carried out the project. In the meantime, there has been a significant increase in the participation of women in entrepreneurial courses and practices.

Guatemala

In 2009, it was the Guatemalan Professional Center's turn in Huehuetenango, with courses in metal mechanics, electronics, automotive mechanics, and food production.

Started in June 2010, the project involved the construction of the facilities; the purchase and installation of machinery, equipment, and furniture; the curriculum design of the courses; the development of teaching resources; the training of teachers and the preparation of managers for the start of the center's activities.

Coordinated by the Planning and Programming Secretariat of the Presidency of Guatemala and executed by the Technical Institute for Training and Productivity, 26,800 people have been trained since the project's first phase.

ABC, the European Union, and the Guatemalan government invested US$ 2.8 million at the time. The Brazilian federation chosen for the project was that of the state of Santa Catarina (FIESC). In addition, the model of the Huehuetenango Center was used as a reference for the establishment of new Vocational Training Centers in other cities in the country.

Jamaica

Jamaica, one of the Caribbean's main tourist destinations, has received US$ 4.8 million from ABC to train its population. From 2010 to 2017, the Kingston Professional Center trained 1,500 students with the help of the SENAI Minas Gerais Regional Department.

The unit hosted courses in electronics, telecommunications and networking, building and industrial electricity, refrigeration mechanics, carpentry and joinery, welding and locksmithing, hydraulic and gas installations, and civil construction.

The Human Employment and Resource Training Trust was responsible for Coordinating, which SENAI ran. The body, known to most Jamaicans as Heart, is Jamaica's principal technical and vocational education and training provider. At least 80 instructors have graduated.

Haiti

Also, in 2010, Haiti began setting up the Les Cayes Vocational Training Center as part of the national reconstruction effort.

As leader of the United Nations (UN) Peace Force in the Caribbean country, Brazil has supported local programs in health and education, along with other UN member countries. In partnership with ABC, the global organization invested around US$ 3 million.

The project was carried out by SENAI, with the support of the Rio Grande do Sul Regional Department, in collaboration with Haiti's National Vocational Training Institute (INFP) and under the supervision of the Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FIERGS).

The areas covered were metalworking, construction, information technology, refrigeration, air conditioning, and automotive mechanics. With the money, materials were also purchased for the respective areas, and 30 instructors and managers were trained to work at the center.

Like East Timor, Haiti has experienced internal tensions and conflicts that have influenced and still influence the socio-economic situation that plagues the country, aggravated by the earthquake that killed more than 230,000 people and further compromised the country's fragile infrastructure.

Despite not being at war, the situation in Haiti is compared, according to the UN, to countries in conflict. A practical example of the violence hanging over the country is the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

Peru

In Lima, the capital of Peru, ABC began construction of the Environmental Technologies Center in 2012. At the time, there were no qualified personnel in the related areas to work in the industries, making it difficult to comply with Peruvian environmental legislation.

Until 2015, with US$ 3.9 million, ABC - in partnership with the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation (APCI), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem em Trabalho Industrial (SENATI) - sought to develop the initiative.

SENAI Bahia was responsible for providing courses in water and wastewater treatment, air quality, renewable energies, energy efficiency, eco-efficiency, monitoring, and solid waste management.

Currently, the center offers various advisory services, training, laboratory tests, and applied research. More than 600 technicians have been trained, 46 companies have received technical advice, and 7 international projects have been developed. In addition, 1,300 students are enrolled in technical and technological courses.

The Lima plant was a significant milestone for Peru, a country that faces serious shortcomings in basic sanitation. Observatório Nacional dos Direitos à Água e ao Saneamento (Ondas) estimates that by 2023, 31% of the Peruvian population will be drinking water contaminated with toxic substances.

São Tomé and Príncipe 

In 2010, SENAI Pernambuco was tasked with developing the Brazil-São Tomé and Príncipe Polytechnic Training Center. With the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Communities coordination and the implementation of the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity and Family, at least 3,065 students graduated.

At the time, ABC invested US$ 4.2 million in the center so that it could be equipped to offer courses in construction, electricity, locksmithing, welding, car and motorcycle mechanics, food processing, and IT.

In 2023, the unit also began offering integrated technical courses in administration, electrotechnics, and computer networks. Currently, the portfolio includes short courses in automotive, welding, and electrical engineering, as well as high school technical courses in computing, electrotechnics, and administration.

Mozambique

In 2017, SENAI began setting up three Vocational Training Centers in Mozambique, Nacala, Cuamba, and Malema, and it is renovating the centers in Maputo, Nampula, and Quelimane. The project was supported by ABC and JICA, which mobilized resources of US$ 6.7 million.

In addition to renovating and constructing new facilities, SENAI, with the support of the regional departments in São Paulo and Ceará, worked on reformulating courses and training itineraries, training teachers and training technicians and teaching managers.

Currently, the educational units offer courses in electricity, carpentry, welding, auto mechanics, car electrics, food processing, plumbing, bricklaying, and refrigeration. From 2024, Nampula, Cuamba, and Malema will also offer heavy machinery, agricultural vehicles, and sewing courses.

"It's been an incredible experience"

Educator Adelaide Gama completed the preparatory course for trainers at the Professional Center of São Tomé and Príncipe in 2010 when the unit was first set up. For her, SENAI's preparation opened up horizons and reinforced the idea that the teacher must help the students so that they can walk on their own two feet.

"The classes were very good, very useful. The content was conveyed in a light-hearted but very professional manner. Too bad it was short-lived, but it did open up my horizons a little more. In fact, I was already practicing some of the basic concepts of the SENAI methodology, but I needed further training," says Adelaide.

"After completing this training, I was certain that, more and more, the student is the center and focus of my work. I've always thought I should help students walk on their own two feet, and this methodology has made me certain that I was right," she explains.

Adelaide Gama (in yellow blouse) graduated from the preparatory course for trainers at the Professional Center of São Tomé and Príncipe in 2010 - Personal Archive.

On the other side, Larissa Nazaré, a former student of the basic IT and bakery and pastry courses, says that she even compared the technical schools available in São Tomé and Príncipe before enrolling at the Professional Center and had no doubts about her choice.

"Overall, it's been an incredible experience, and I think I should have taken this course earlier. I heard about the [SENAI] center from some people on Facebook. I was able to follow a few courses, and then I started comparing other schools and ended up deciding to study there," says Larissa.

Some skills taught at SENAI's Professional Center are essential for the student to use "anywhere."

"I recommend [the center] for others to take advantage of the opportunity because I think these are universal skills. For example, in the computer course, we acquire skills that we can use anywhere. The bakery and pastry course allows us to become entrepreneurs and earn our own money or even to help us work in an establishment," she says.

Larissa Nazaré (with red glasses) took an introductory computer course at the Professional Center of São Tomé and Príncipe.

FIEPE employee Michelle Ramos took part in the first phase of setting up the São Tomé center in 2010. In the country, she helped the center's new teachers - like Adelaide - learn the SENAI methodology. "This training lasted three weeks. There were 120 hours of training for 42 teachers from São Tomé and Príncipe, and it was totally focused on SENAI's pedagogical proposals," he says.

"The teachers experienced what it's like to work with the methodology in practice. It was a very challenging process because the reality of São Tomé is very different regarding education. We had to work a lot on pedagogical concepts and educational technologies. Anyway, we had to adapt," adds Michelle.

The Brazilian embarked at the beginning of 2024 to implement the second phase of the Professional Center of São Tomé and Príncipe, which will offer electrotechnics, administration, and networks courses.

Michelle (printed white blouse) is in São Tomé and Príncipe for a new phase of coordinator training - Personal Archive.

Want a Vocational Training Center to call your own?

Do you like SENAI's work abroad and want to bring training to your country? See step-by-step below:

1. Countries interested in having a vocational training center or other educational institution should contact Agência Brasileira de Cooperação (ABC) - which is linked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organization is responsible for financing and coordinating the projects while SENAI implements them;

2. Once ABC has expressed its interest, the agency contacts the International Relations Unit (UNINTER), linked to the National SENAI;

3. SENAI selects which regional department will be responsible for opening the new Vocational Training Center. The unit must have expertise in the technical area chosen by the country;

4. Together, ABC, National SENAI, and the chosen regional unit go on a mission to the requesting country;

5. Finally, ABC puts together a kit of documents to start the partnership: a project document and a letter of agreement for the participating institutions to sign;

6. SENAI professionals are assigned to the new center to monitor the activities and train the new instructors.

More on SENAI's international activities

SENAI offers professional technical training in 28 industrial sectors in Brazil, both in technological courses and at higher and post-graduate levels, and usually meets international training demands to train local students or to pass on the experience to other organizations and institutes worldwide.

To learn more about these initiatives, visit SENAI's international actions page.