By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Ministry of Tourism will offer 10,000 free technical college courses for public school students. The courses, aimed at the travel market, will be offered in several cities across eighteen states, with classes expected to begin in August.
The courses are for technical skills in the travel sector, including; kitchen, events, tourism guide, lodging, leisure, restaurant and bar. Those interested should contact the State Department of Tourism of each locality (see list below).
According to government news sources, the local administrations will define both the date and the form of registration, along with the state Secretariats of Education.
The offer is part of MedioTec, a subset of the National Program of Access to Technical Education and Employment (PRONATEC), launched at the end of last year. The program, according to the Ministry of Education (MEC), intends to offer a total of 82,000 places. During the year, 20,000 places were announced in technical courses in the cultural area.
The Minister of Education, Mendonça Filho, along with President Michel Temer, announced the Médiotec in December 2016. “The program gives more autonomy so that young people can define their future from the educational point of view of our country’s training schools,” says Mendonça Filho.
He also pointed out that in Brazil, 8.4 percent of high school enrollments are linked to technical training courses. The percentage is below European countries, where about forty percent of enrollments receive this training, according to government news sources.
The Ministry of Tourism detailed that the offer of where courses are available is defined by the demand presented by each of the states, and the capacity of attending the program.
Dani Rieck a Brazilian who has lived in the UK for twelve years and now works at Sherlock Communications. “[A] main difference between Europe and Brazil is the opportunity and a commitment from the government to supply training and support start to finish.”
She shares a frustration, “Unfortunately in Brazil, we have many cases where the program has a start but half way on, it just gets cancelled. This to me is worse than not starting at all. It’s incredible detrimental to the youngster’s psyche.”
However in terms of this new announced program, “the idea of quality state funded programs would not only be beneficial for the youngsters but also a huge benefit to the whole industry.”
Below are the areas currently offering the courses according to officials:
Acre
Rio Branco
Amazonas
Manaus, Presidente Figueiredo, Tefé, Parintins e Rio Preto da Eva
Amapá
Macapá e Oiapoque
Pará
Altamira, Barcarena, Belém, Bragança, Itaituba, Marabá, Oriximiná, Paragominas, Salinópolis, Santarém, Xinguara
Roraima
Boa Vista
Tocantins
Araguaína, Dianópolis, Gurupi, Palmas, Paraíso do Tocantins, Porto Nacional
São Paulo
São Paulo e São Vicente
Minas Gerais
Alfenas, Bueno Brandão, Camanducaia, Cambuí, Carangola, Caxambu, Extrema, Gonçalves, Governador Valadares, Guanhães, Jaboticatubas, Lavras, Passos, Ponte Nova, Pouso Alegre, São Thomé das Letras, Três Marias, Unaí e Varginha
Rio Grande do Sul
Bento Gonçalves, Caçapava do Sul, Canela, Caxias do Sul, Gramado, Nova Petrópolis, Novo Hamburgo, Pelotas, Porto Alegre, São Lourenço do Sul, Tramandaí e Vacaria
Santa Catarina
Balneário Piçarras, Bombinhas, Concordia, Florianópolis, Garopaba, Gravatal, Laguna, Palhoça, Pomerode, São Bento do Sul, São José, Tubarão, Urubici e Videira
Paraná
Antonina, Curitiba, Foz do Iguaçu, Lapa, Maringá, Morretes, Paranaguá, Ponta Grossa e São José dos Pinhais
Mato Grosso
Alta Floresta, Aripuanã, Barra do Garças, Cáceres, Campo Novo do Parecis, Campo Verde, Canarana, Chapada dos Guimarães, Colíder, Cuiabá, Guaratã do Norte, Jaciara, Juína, Lucas do Rio Verde, Nova Mutum, Nova Xavantina, Poconé, Pontes e Lacerda, Primavera do Leste, Rondonópolis, Sapezal, Sinop, Sorriso, Tangará da Serra e Várzea Grande
Mato Grosso do Sul
Aquidauna, Bataguassu, Bonito, Campo Grande, Corumbá, Costa Rica, Coxim, Dourados, Ivinhema, Jardim, Miranda, Novo Mundo, Naviraí, Nova Andradina, Paranaíba, Ponta Porã, Rio Verde de Mato Grosso e Três Lagoas
Goiás
Cidade de Goiás
Pernambuco
Arcoverde, Belo Jardim, Bezerros, Bonito, Cabo de Santo Agostinho, Caruaru, Fernando de Noronha, Garanhuns, Goiana, Gravatá, Ilha de Itamaracá, Ipojuca, Jaboatão dos Guararapes, Olinda, Paulista, Pesqueira, Petrolina, Recife, Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Serra Talhada, Tamandaré, Timbaúba e Vitória do Santo Antão
Alagoas
Arapiraca, Barra de São Miguel, Coruripe, Delmiro Gouveia, Japaratinga, Maceió, Maragogi, Marechal Deodoro, Palmeira dos Índios, Penedo e São Miguel dos Milagres
Maranhão
Barra do Corda, Barreirinhas, Caxias, Codó, Estreito, Grajaú, Imperatriz, Santa Inês, São Luís e Timon
Paraíba
João Pessoa e Conde