The Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan) will promote a series of courses aimed at teachers in public and private schools from 2024 onwards. These are completely free courses that aim to help prepare educators for current and future challenges, both in education and in the world of work.
The courses are part of the new portfolio launched by Firjan. The entity, which has a tradition in training entrepreneurs and discussing solutions for the business sector, now turns its attention to education. Some of the courses were offered this year on a pilot basis to a group of educators from schools located close to Firjan’s headquarters. 20-hour courses in educational robotics, project-based learning and artistic language and scientific literacy were offered.
“These are the themes, approaches and themes focused on this 21st century education, this education of the future”, said Firjan’s content and innovation manager, Maria Isabel Oschery, in a conversation with journalists this Wednesday (8). According to the manager, the intention is to show possibilities that are applicable in classrooms. “Robotic practice, for example, sometimes generates a little resistance. They may think that there is a lot of technology involved. We seek to demystify this, using simpler materials. I think there is a gap between knowing the theory and being able to apply it within schools”, she explains.
According to Firjan, the objective is for the new project to be a space for reflection on future-oriented educational practices; that it is a showcase of practices aimed at education, which already exist in other industry entities such as the Industrial Social Service (Sesi) and the National Industrial Learning Service (Senai); and, which strengthens innovative skills of basic education teachers.
“We realized, working for five years with professionals and companies that we were being relevant so that they could accelerate their ability to reflect, but we did not have any type of portfolio aimed at teachers and educators and this is essential. When we talk about the new economy, about innovation, one of the big discussions is the future of work and the future of professions”, says the general manager of Business Development and Innovation at Firjan, Cristiane Alves.
According to the World Economic Forum, with the advancement of technology, a series of skills will be necessary in the future in the world of work. These include: analytical thinking and innovation; creativity, originality and initiative; use, monitoring and control of technology; resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.
According to Cristiane Alves and Maria Isabel Oschery, to help students develop these and other skills, teachers also need training.
At the beginning of this year, Firjan released a study on high school student dropout rates. The search Combating Dropout in High School: Challenges and Opportunities, carried out in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) shows that half a million young people over the age of 16 drop out of school each year. A new secondary education reform is under discussion in the National Congress.
Firjan represents 101 industrial employers’ unions and works at the municipal, state and federal levels to defend issues that directly impact the competitiveness of the industry. In addition, it develops studies and research on topics interesting to the industry with the aim of anticipating trends, informing and identifying solutions.
