One of the new features of this 28th edition of Bett Brasil is the Ahead by Bett, an event dedicated to higher and vocational education, featuring discussions on shaping future scenarios and how to prepare young people for the job market. During the first few days, professors and experts spoke about the main challenge facing higher education in Brazil: increasing the number of students with college degrees.

As Semesp data show, the country is falling further and further behind in meeting the target set by the PNE (National Education Plan). The established target is that, by 2024, 33% of students would be enrolled in higher education. However, as can be seen in the survey, the net enrollment rate (which measures the percentage of young people aged 18 to 24 enrolled in higher education relative to the total population in that age group) stands at only 18.1%. 

To present possible approaches to addressing this problem, Ahead by Bett brought together university administrators, university presidents, educators, faculty members, and suppliers involved in higher education. The event provided a forum for the exchange of ideas and experiences, in addition to showcasing new products and services for the sector.

During the panel discussion, Carlos Longo, vice president of ABED (Brazilian Association of Distance Education), noted that “currently, distance learning and hybrid courses account for the majority of new students entering higher education. I believe that with the growth of hybrid education, this number could increase significantly by the end of this decade. However, public policies on student financing will be necessary for this to actually happen—for access to higher education to truly grow.”

Leo Gmeiner, co-founder and CEO of School Guardian, who participated in the panel “Entrepreneurship and Opportunities in the World of Work,” commented: “Both in education and in fields that serve the sector, the biggest challenge is finding a real and relevant problem to address,” said Gmeiner. 

“When we’re able to bring together teachers, principals, and administrators from educational institutions with entrepreneurs at startups, we increase the chances that these businesses will succeed—because they’re learning from people who deal with this problem on a daily basis—but it also increases the likelihood of effectively solving the problem at hand,” he added.

 

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