International studies and reports warn that the skills in demand today will no longer be at the core of the job profiles sought tomorrow, and many will become obsolete. Among the reasons for this shift are the disruptive innovations brought about by digital transformation, an aging population, the rising average age of workers, and the urgent need for a sustainable economy. All of these factors are rapidly creating and reshaping occupations and professional profiles.

This trend has increased the need for ongoing training for workers, a trend already recognized by international organizations such as UNESCO and the ILO, which recommend the development of educational policies and programs for this purpose.

In Brazil, the projected need for retraining in the industrial sector accounts for 79% of the total demand for vocational training, estimated at approximately 9.6 million according to SENAI’s 2022–2025 Industrial Labor Map.

In various countries, initiatives are emerging from governments, companies, and educational institutions that involve strategies for retraining workers—whether to update or enhance their skills in their current field (upskilling) or to obtain professional qualifications aimed at job placement and career reorientation (reskilling).

New environmental regulations and requirements, for example, have reshaped production processes, created new roles, and required professionals to acquire new knowledge. Countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and those that are members of the European Commission have developed programs with this goal in mind, including mini- and micro-courses designed to establish micro-credentials that can be offered independently or in conjunction with vocational and technical education programs and higher education programs.

To guide countries and bring together efforts, the World Economic Forum launched the “Reskilling Revolution” at its January 2020 meeting. Its purpose is to create new job opportunities for up to one billion people worldwide over the next 10 years. In Brazil, SENAI serves as the local coordinator of the initiative, titled “Skills Accelerator, ” in partnership with the Ministries of Labor and Education and Microsoft. The reskilling goal for the first five years of the program—that is, through 2025—is 4 million workers. 

Undoubtedly, the new dynamics surrounding the future of work and the future of the workplace require vocational and technical education institutions to take a fresh look at the training programs they offer and make available to people.

It is essential for vocational and technical education institutions to take a comprehensive approach to the training options and pathways they offer, taking into account the different profiles of the students who may seek to enroll in them. The following factors must be considered when designing curricula: defining pathways to course enrollment, delivery methods, different ways to access course content and classes, as well as assessment and certification tools. This therefore requires new strategies for presenting and publicizing courses and training options to young people and working adults, anticipating and clearly outlining the various means and times for accessing them, as well as the different training paths they can choose along their continuous learning journey. In short, it means democratizing access.

This means truly incorporating the principles and concept of continuing and lifelong education into the education system. As described by UNESCO, it involves recognizing that individuals’ learning activities take place at all ages, in different settings, formats, and contexts (both formal and informal), and are driven by different motivations, interests, needs, or demands experienced throughout our lives.

This is a major challenge! It makes it urgent to move forward with the reorganization of vocational and technical education programs in order to engage with and respond to this new environment, which is marked by constant changes in all sectors of social life, including those that permeate and characterize educational institutions.

The design of pedagogical proposals should no longer be limited to a narrow focus on a particular stage, course, or level, nor should it be intended exclusively for a single pathway of admission, education, and completion. 

They should be designed and structured in a matrix-based and flexible manner, allowing for diverse educational pathways, giving meaning to what is studied and how knowledge is acquired and skills are developed in dialogue with individual vocations and motivations—which can be as diverse as pursuing higher education, specializing, retraining, or changing one’s professional field, or simply expanding one’s knowledge.

It is therefore essential to plan for and facilitate flexible educational pathways by creating different entry points into vocational and higher education (technologist and bachelor’s degree programs). Furthermore, alternatives for mobility between these pathways should be made available by implementing mechanisms for the recognition of prior learning.

Regardless of the reasons, the ongoing and constant need to continue on the path of learning is growing at an unprecedented rate, particularly in the field of vocational and technical education, which is gradually taking center stage in the demand for training.

We are facing a time of economic and social upheaval around the world. Brazil needs to chart its own course based on its needs, unique characteristics, and realities, and turn these trends into opportunities to strengthen the training of its professionals and help expand individuals’ choices, improve the quality of work, and prevent the growth of inequality.

The country has great potential, and the Law on Guidelines and Foundations for National Education (Law No. 9,394/1996) already provides the legal framework and guidelines so that education in general—and vocational and technological education in particular—can fulfill their important and strategic role on this path toward sustainable socioeconomic development. Undoubtedly, the government plays a central role, and collaboration and dialogue between educational institutions and the private sector are essential for building and implementing an efficient lifelong learning ecosystem, thereby setting Brazil on the path to reindustrialization and sustainable growth. 

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*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bett Brasil.

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