The courses were held by SENAI-Mariana with a workload of 200 hours and a duration of about two months
To ensure that the resources invested in the repair process stay within the affected towns and are used for economic development, one of the premises of the Renova Foundation is to prioritize the hiring of local labor. The goal is that these professionals make up more than 60% of Renova’s workforce.
For this reason, vocational training courses are being organized along the Doce River basin with the objective of training 3,500 professionals by 2020. In Mariana (MG), the courses are offered in partnership with the Minas Gerais State Industry Federation – Fiemg System. In the construction field, the first group graduated on December 21 and includes 27 professionals: 11 masonry workers and 16 construction laborers.
Marciliana dos Santos Tomaz is a 27-year-old young woman who wants to be a masonry worker. Alongside her son and her husband, Marciliana was the only woman in class and she is already making plans for the future. “I really enjoyed the course, I learned techniques and now I can work on my own house, which is under construction,” she said.
The courses were held by SENAI-Mariana, had a workload of 200 hours and a duration of about two months. The minimum age for participation was 18.
According to the leader of the Stimulus to Local Hiring actions, Paulo Rocha, the initiative will help ensure that the repair actions managed by Renova are executed with quality. “The Renova Foundation is committed to the development of the localities and the generation of employment is part of this. Especially in Mariana, this training is even more important given the volume and importance of the work to be done in the region and the need to mitigate the economic impacts caused by the collapse of the Fundao dam.”
The 30-year-old mason Marison Henrique Santana says the construction industry is a promising field, but workers need to understand the market. “The town had to train the local labor force to compete in the market. Today, in addition to registered experience one needs to be qualified. The opportunity that Renova offered is something that was worth taking.”
According the manager of Senai, Danubia de Carvalho, the construction industry is a growing market. “The country has been going through a crisis, but unlike other industries this sector has not felt a significant decline. In addition, for the profession masonry, which is usually passed on from father to son, this is a unique opportunity to learn the techniques in this course supported by Renova,” he said.
The vocational training process began in 2017 and continues in 2018, with new courses focused on the demands of the resettlement. There will be training for carpenters, electricians and masons, as well as environmental restoration professionals.