Gabriel Azevedo

Posted: April 1st, 2014 | Author: Michael Goldstein | | No Comments »

Gabriel Azevedo is Environmental Director for Odebrecht Engineering and Construction Company, the largest infrastructure construction company in Latin America. Here’s the gist of what he said:

We have 135,000 lower skilled workers out of our 160,000 employees. They typically come from secondary schools in Latin America, Brazil, Africa.

We find the schools fail at their basic functions. Many workers lack work ethic, hygiene, ability to be part of a team. We developed our own program to educate these people.

I find many countries spend 75% of the total education budget on the higher ed, and that only benefits 2% of their people. That needs to be inverted. They need to invest in preparing workforce. We find that gov’t is major obstacle here.

I dug around on the Net to try to find an example. Here’s one:

The CONEST Consortium is investing in the training of youth ages 18 to 23 who live in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. The idea is to offer them the conditions to compete in the job market, promoting training and helping improve the quality of life of the participants and their families.

Based on the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO), one of the premises of the Young Apprentice Program is to encourage the selection of Members’ children and relatives, adding value to the family unit and leaving a legacy of sustainability in the region. “We want to transform the lives of the youth and their families,” said Fernanda Sampaio, responsible for People and Organization.

CONEST has been receiving the Young Apprentices since March. The first 18 completed the theoretical classes under the Office Assistant module at the National Industrial Learning Service (SENAI) facility and earned professional experience at the refinery installations. “It has been a unique experience for me, and having my first job makes me very happy,” said Rayane Monique. “My mom helped me achieve this and it is wonderful to work with her at the Organization. I want to keep looking for new opportunities,” said Monique.

Another 64 youth – 46 for the Office Assistant course and 18 for the Industrial Piping Installer course – signed the contract and will begin their theoretical classes in March. Another 35 will also arrive this month.

So if we go back to Wagner’s presentation, we now have 5 different competing versions of education:

1. Learn basic knowledge and academic skills, like how to read, how to do basic math, and what are the parts of the human body

2. Learn deep knowledge, which relies on basic knowledge

3. Learn Wagner’s 7 “21st century skills”

4. Learn how to show up for work on time, listen attentively, take criticism, be clean, etc

5. Learn specific vocational skills like how to fit pipes

Employers of low-skilled workers want 1 and 4. Sometimes 3.

Employers of high-skilled workers assume 1 and 2…often have many to choose from there…so then they emphasize they need 3.

But educators can get lost here. To be considered in the high-skilled pool, instead of the low-skilled pool, you usually need 1 and 2. You have to deliver on that first, only then can the 21st century skills to set you apart from other job candidates.