“Our strategy is clearly having an impact”

In 2024, around 3.13 million people attended vocational training courses at SENAI. How many of them were women?

Currently, 38% of our participants are female. In distance learning, the proportion of women is significantly higher, at 51%. Otherwise, of course, some areas are still very male-dominated, where the proportion of female course participants is much lower than the average 38%. For example, information technology, construction, and metal-working industry are fields with a lower share of women.

However, a comparison of our figures with industry employment shares reveals a growing trend in SENAI's commitment to women's professional training. In general, the proportion of women in the industry workforce is 32%. Here, too, there has been a positive development in recent decades. In 2008, 24% of formal employees in industry were women; by 2023, this figure had risen to 32%. The 38% at SENAI is also due to our dedicated efforts within the organization.

What differences in course selection are there between men and women? Which professions are women most interested in?

At SENAI, women are most interested in professions in the fields of IT, food and beverage, occupational safety, logistics and administration, followed by metal-working, clothing and environment. Men mainly take courses in the fields of engineering, IT, automotive industry and electrical installations. It is therefore possible that the proportion of women in some professions in the companies will also increase in the future because women are also qualified in these areas. However, there are also differences in their needs and motives. For example, we see that the majority of men who take part in SENAI qualification programmes are employed, so they want to improve their careers and earn more. The majority of women, on the other hand, are unemployed. They attend the courses to start and re-entre into the labour market in the first place. 

Does that work?

In principle, yes. Recent figures show that the overall employment rate of SENAI graduates is generally around 86%, but when we look at just women the average is 64%. At the same time, women are better educated on average: The average years of schooling for people aged 25 and over in 2023 was 9.9 years. From 2022 to 2023, this average remained stable. Among women, the average number of years of schooling was 10.1 years, while for men, it was 9.7 years. So, there is still a lot of work to be done in society as a whole before there are actually equal opportunities for women in the labour market in Brazil.

What exactly has SENAI done to increase the proportion of women among its participants?

A strategy called “Programa SENAI de Ações Inclusivas” (PSAI) has been in place for 26 years. It covers the areas of diversity and inclusion. I think we could say that by now, promoting diversity is part of SENAI’s cultural DNA. Positive measures to prevent discrimination have been, and are taking place here. SENAI has always tried to train more women in order to encourage the industry to include more women in the production process. We also believe that the lower access threshold in distance learning have contributed to higher numbers of women attending face-to-face courses. And then, of course, general social movements in terms of diversity and equality have also had positive impacts on the role of women in working life, especially in industry. 

In some of the male-dominated sectors, we offer some courses for women only, and we offer awareness activities, for example for multinational companies in the automotive industry. These companies are highly encouraged by their headquarters to have positive gender policies. SENAI has not only provided training for apprentices, but also for managers on how to deal with diversity in general and gender diversity in particular. And not just for Brazil, but for the whole of Latin America.

Additionally, together with the German development organisation GIZ, we have a project within the framework of the Brazil-Germany Cooperation for Sustainable Development. This project, among other things, aims to ensure female presence in areas traditionally dominated by men, here particularly within the sectors of renewable energy, circular economy, and bio economy. After training, 72.1% of graduates were employed, and 43.6% were employed in their field of training, suggesting a remarkable effectiveness of the courses in enabling women to join the labour market.

Beyond SENAI's national strategy, regional departments across the country are implementing specific initiatives to promote women's advancement. For example, in the state of Espírito Santo. The industry association FINDES has founded a council that is specifically committed to the advancement of women in industrial professions. By 2035, 50% of SENAI graduates in Espírito Santo are expected to be women. Among other things, SENAI offers a range of courses for women free of charge and offers support regarding career entry and professional development. 

It should be noted, however, that the industry association in Espírito Santo is headed by a woman and that she plays a significant role in these measures. So, you can see how much the positive development always has to do with the people involved.

Are you on the right track with SENAI?

Oh yes! Our strategy is clearly having an impact. We have left the phase of persuasion behind us and the development towards gender equality is already taking place in many areas without any additional effort. Of course, that doesn't mean that we have already achieved everything. But for example, I had a nice experience at the WorldSkills in France last year. There was a competition in the field of heavy vehicle maintenance. According to common stereotypes, you would expect a lot of strong men here, as it involves tractors and other heavy equipment. But in the end, a young woman was the only one who identified all the faults in one of the stages of the competition.  

Well then, thank you very much for the interview, Felipe! So, let’s hope that we won't have to spotlight only gender parity related positive examples in our next interview in a few years' time – because equality has really become normality.