Digital transformation is reshaping society and the world of work at an unprecedented pace. New technologies emerge daily, automating tasks, creating new professions, and requiring a new set of skills and competencies.

In this context, Professional and Technological Education (PTE) faces the major challenge of adapting to this ever-changing reality, ensuring that professionals are trained to meet the demands of the future of work.

An even greater challenge is ensuring that this transformation is inclusive, by overcoming the digital divides that affect access to technology and quality education.

In Brazil, the digital divide is a reality that exacerbates existing social disparities. Many EPT students, especially those in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability, face significant barriers to accessing technology and fully participating in the digital transformation.

These inequalities can be mitigated through the use of new technologies and pedagogical strategies that expand the reach of EFA and allow courses to be tailored to the needs of students and the job market. Furthermore, the use of digital technologies fosters the development of digital skills that support students in exercising digital citizenship.

Digital transformation in EPT can, therefore, bring significant opportunities. By integrating emerging technologies into its curriculum design and teaching practices, EPT can offer students a more dynamic, personalized education that is aligned with market demands. Tools such as artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, the Internet of Things, and robotics can enrich the teaching-and-learning process, making it more immersive, interactive, meaningful, and accessible.

For this transformation to be effective and inclusive, it is essential that schools and school systems have access to appropriate guidelines and strategies. Initiatives such as the European Union’s SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering Innovation through Educational Technologies) provide tools and resources to help schools assess their level of digital maturity and plan actions for their transformation.

SELFIE invites reflection on various aspects of integrating technology into education, ranging from leadership, collaboration, and networking, to planning, infrastructure, teacher training, and digital assessment of learning.

SENAI has been following this path and conducts a Digital Maturity Survey at its schools—adapted from the SELFIE tool—to collect data that helps identify opportunities for improvement and supports the schools in their digital transformation plans. Strategies such as this, together with other aspects of digital infrastructure, culture, and processes in SENAI schools, have helped reach students in 95% of Brazilian municipalities.

See also:

• Technical education in Brazil faces cultural barriers, but is making progress through new initiatives
• Open Innovation: The Future of Education Lies in Collaboration

Research and assessments are essential for understanding the reality of digital inequalities and identifying priorities for action in a timely and effective manner. They also guide the path toward achieving digital maturity, which UNESCO defines as the planned and structured introduction of digital technologies into TVET institutions and systems.

The goal is to expand the scope, scale, efficiency, and effectiveness of educational processes, with a focus on training professionals who are qualified to work in the digital economy and society, thereby contributing to more sustainable development.

The process of digital transformation is multidimensional and multidisciplinary. In this regard, collaboration and networking among different stakeholders are essential to addressing major challenges, particularly those related to cultural change, which includes teacher training, new teaching strategies, and investments in infrastructure modernization.

Public policies must be established to support and reinforce this process of transformation. It is also necessary to encourage companies to develop solutions that facilitate and support the new dynamics of teaching and learning.

Brazil is considered a cradle of edtech companies, accounting for 70% of the 251 such startups in Latin America, according to data from the Distrito Edtech Report 2024. Even with the country’s significant presence in this sector, there remains the challenge of creating solutions that address the specific needs of vocational education, since most existing solutions focus on K-12 education, higher education, or language instruction.

EPT is characterized by the holistic development of competencies—from knowledge and interpersonal skills to practical skills—which can benefit from solutions that provide students with immersive, interactive, and personalized experiences.

Conclusions

Digital transformation not only impacts education but also promotes digital citizenship by developing skills that enable graduates to play an active and participatory role in this connected, globalized, and ever-changing world. Furthermore, these digital skills also have a positive impact on the business sector by providing professionals capable of supporting innovation and the creation of new processes and products.

There are various interpretations of what digital skills mean for the 21st century. This is due to the rapid and constant changes in society resulting from the emergence and adoption of new technologies.

To support educational institutions, we must look to guidelines such as the European Union’s DigComp Framework , which describes digital competencies such as problem-solving, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, data and information literacy, and digital security.

We recognize that these are cross-cutting competencies that highlight not only the technical aspects of using technology but also social-emotional skills—such as communication and problem-solving—that can be enhanced through the use of technology.

EPT’s digital transformation is a complex challenge, but one that is essential to the country’s development. By embracing these new tools, fostering collaboration among schools, networks, and businesses, and reinventing teaching and learning processes, we have the opportunity to shape the education of the future—today—in a more inclusive and personalized way , enabling students to learn regardless of where they are, through educational pathways that take into account what they already know and their learning styles.

By embracing this process, we can expand access to a quality education regardless of the delivery method—whether in-person, distance learning, or hybrid learning—using instructional strategies that effectively prioritize the development of skills for all students. In this way, we can overcome classic challenges—such as infrastructure limitations, which can be addressed through the use of digital simulators—and the difficulty of understanding abstract and complex topics, which can be addressed through the use of virtual reality, augmented reality, or artificial intelligence assistants.

By investing in infrastructure, people, curricula, and teaching resources, and by promoting digital inclusion, educational institutions can train qualified professionals for the digital society, preparing students for a constantly changing professional world where the ability to learn and adapt will be essential.

This digital transformation in EPT, while complex, is crucial to the country’s development. To achieve this, we must invest in new technologies, strengthen collaboration among schools, school districts, and businesses, and rethink teaching and learning strategies to create a more inclusive and personalized educational future.

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