Complementary Education in Agricultural Techniques and the Environment

The purpose of the project is to modernize agriculture in the region of Miraí (MG), with the introduction of the organic agricultural process as an alternative for more sustainable agricultural production. The practice is carried out in the 10 month Complementary Education Course on Agricultural Techniques and the Environment, in the organic coffee production area. Feasible thanks to the association of the Aluminum business unit with the NGO Atitude, the initiative will be carried out in 2011 with the intention of benefiting 20 young residents in the rural area.

Força Jovem (Young Force)

Taking place in the Itamarati de Minas (MG) region in an association between Votorantim Metais and the NGO Assistência Social Descobertense, the Força Jovem project benefits young people from the urban and rural areas in the municipality of Descoberto (MG). The proposal is to train young people for their inclusion in the job market through bricklaying, needlework and cooking courses, as well as through production workshops to encourage entrepreneurships. Having started in 2010, the project has already trained 55 young people. It is estimated that after the bricklaying course, between 85 and 95% of the participants will work in the area – half of them self-employed and the rest working for construction companies in the region. The purpose of the needlework course is to educate and prepare young people to meet the qualified labor demand in the confection sector, which is very important in the city.

Biodiversity Professional Education Center

The purpose of the project is to establish and improve a pilot program of courses and the structuring of a Biodiversity Professional Education Center, CenforpBio, as a reference school. The purpose is to promote training for young people in the municipalities of Caldas and Divinolândia (MG), where VM operates, playing the role of Ecologic and Scientific Tourism guides. The intention is to train professionals in areas related to new biodiversity issues in Poços de Caldas through Environmental Police, Green Guard, Civil Defense and Firefighting Body courses; all of these with resources from partners. The project was developed in association with Centro de Monitoramento Ambiental in Serra Itapety and Fundação de Desenvolvimento de Pesquisa Agronegócio, and benefited 80 young people in 2010.

Profissional Evoluir (Evolve Professionals)

The aim is to prepare 15 to 29 year old young people for the job market through mini-courses, technical workshops and socio-educational activities, with encouragement towards entrepreneurship and cooperative entrepreneurship. The action develops what is learned with professional training in Industrial Sewing and the implementation of a Common Nucleus in Associação Comercial de Desenvolvimento Sustentável de Itamarati de Minas (MG); the project has already benefited 40 young people between 15 and 29 years old.

Futuro em Nossas Mãos (Future in Our Hands) – São Paulo

Promoted in association with Prattein, Consultant in Social Education and Development, the purpose of the project is to introduce young people to the job market through their professional training and with the support of a primary, secondary and tertiary sector partners’ network. It is aimed at young people between 18 and 29 years old, unemployed, with a family income per capita similar to that of the minimum salary. Training is carried out in the aluminum metalwork area specializing in the installation of casings. Starting in 2006, the project benefited 80 young people in 2010.

PET - Programa de Educação para o Trabalho (Educational Program for Employment)

PET is a program developed in association with Alana Institute whose purpose is social inclusion, the promotion of human rights, citizenship and employment opportunities for young people from low income families in the communities of São Miguel Paulista and Itaim Paulista, in the city of São Paulo. It also stimulates social change encouraging the participation of young people. The project was started in 2007 and 120 young people have already benefited from it.

Futuro em Nossas Mãos – (Future in Our Hands) Morro Agudo

The purpose of Futuro em Nossas Mãos (Future in Our Hands) project (belonging to Fundação Conscienciarte) is to educate 18 to 29 year old young professionals, through electrician and rough-mason training courses, selected according to the demand in the municipality of Paracatu (MG). The education, based on basic competences in the critical, reflexive and professional education of the individual, involves concepts about education, culture, environment, ecology, quality and safety standards and procedures, which gives them additional education for the challenge of the job market. The project has existed since 2006 and in 2010 80 young people have benefited from it. The same initiative is also carried out in the region of Vazante, with a direct benefit to 40 young people in 2010.

Agente do Amanhã (Tomorrow’s Agent)

Carried out in Juiz de Fora (MG) region, Agente do Amanhã program, developed by Associação Municipal de Apoio Comunitário (AMAC), has already benefited 468 young people between 15 and 29 years old since 2008. The purpose is to recover the self-esteem of those people through encouraging productivity and the generation of income by professional training and basic education, offering courses in association with educational institutions within the municipality, such as qualification for teenagers, young people and adults, entrepreneurship support, encouraging cooperation, cooperativism and redemption of autonomous services, labor inclusion through Balcão de Oportunidades (Opportunity Desk) and encouragement to elevate adult schooling and keep teenagers and young people at school, in a joint project with the schools of the region.

2011 Arte da Gente (People’s Art)

The purpose of the Project is the Professional training in metalwork and sewing to generate employment and income for young people under a socially vulnerable situation, by adding the recycling of disposable materials such as scrap metal and cloth to the qualification process, as well as their sustainability. In 2009 and 2010, 75 young people were served – 62% of these young people were introduced to the job market. The project was developed by the Zinc Business unit in association with the Opará Institute – Culture, Environment and Citizenship, and benefits the cities of Três Marias and São Gonçalo do Abaeté, both in Minas Gerais. In total, more than 1,350 people have already indirectly benefited from it.