Looking at Brazil
| by Austin Gamble
A Template for South Africa
In this final article on our series on Brazil’s automotive industry, we take a look at a remarkable institution, which
plays a critical role in empowering and sustaining Brazil’s automotive industry. This institution is SENAI-SP (São
Paulo Regional Department), which was created in 1942 to promote professional training for industry, and is
effectively a partnership between industry and educators.
D
uring my visit to Brazil in April
2014 as guest of the Brazilian
Association of Autoparts
Manufacturers (Sindipeças) and ApexBrasil,
I had the good fortune to visit the Escola
SENAI “Conde José Vicente de Azevedo”
technical training college, a shining
example of the success of the SENAI-SP
concept, and one of 164 training units, all
of which are ISO9000 certified. 90 of these
units are physical schools (such as the one
I visited), 70 are mobile units for outlying
areas, and four are mobile professional
certification centres. All focused on training
the engineers and technicians of the future.
➲The teaching at
the training college
relies heavily on
hands-on training.
Silvania Chaves
and Carlos Moreira
from Sindipeças,
and training
co-ordinators
Edson Lemos
and Jefferson
Gandolfi Feitosa
stand in front of an
engine used in this
endeavour
Since its foundation, SENAI-SP has
qualified over 25 million people, across
30 industrial sectors, with the aim of
catering to the needs of the market,
and through constant updating of its
programmes it meets the regional
economic requirements. And as Paulo
Skaf, president of the Regional Council,
says, “SENAI-SP allows industry to
live up to its task of promoting social
development, not only in São Paulo, but
also throughout Brazil. SENAI-SP is our
means to train, specialise and capacitate
professionals and conscientious citizens,
who will eventually contribute daily
towards a better country”.
As I said in the intro, the SENAI “Conde
José Vicente de Azevedo” technical
training college is a shining example of
the success of the SENAI-SP concept,
and a must see for any South African
industrialist or educator who is interested
in the economic development of South
Africa.
This training college is a reference in
professional education in the automotive
and electronics arena, and has become
a hub of generation, adaptation and
technology transfer.
➲ Trainees at the Autobody Repair and Car Painting facility at the
college get first class training, as evidenced in this picture
| words in action
40
september 2014
It partners
with dozens of
representative
companies in
the electronic
and automotive
chain, from motor
manufacturers,
component
manufacturers
and dealers to the
maintenance and
repair sectors.