By: Thaís Trapp

On 11/11 the Minister for Science and Technology (MCT), Sergio Rezende, and the Minister for Labor and Employment (MTE), Carlos Lupi, signed the document consolidating Project Forsoft, which has been piloted since 2006. With the active participation of the Brazilian Association of Information Technology and Communication Companies (Brasscom), the project trains youths recruited in deprived communities as mid-level computer programmers. ?With the experience acquired in this pilot project and the follow-up of results, we plan to build, alongside governmental bodies and companies, a new mass technological training model, allied to digital inclusion?, says Ricardo Saur, director of Brasscom.

Through the Department of Information Technology Policy (Sepin), the Science and Technology Ministry has invested R$4 million in the program, which has also been backed by private investment through companies that have taken part, known as ?godmothers?. These companies, besides choosing the language the programmers are trained in, based on their regional needs, selected the cities the courses were established in and made a commitment to hiring at least 10% of the students trained.

With consolidation of the program, it is estimated that 10,000 youths throughout the country will be trained in 2009. Through Forsoft, Brasscom and the ministries are looking to test innovative professional training methodologies and concepts in practice, with a view to meeting the strong demand from the IT sector. One of their main focuses, moreover, is analysis of opinion and experience amongst the companies and students involved.

Saur says that one of the new features for upcoming courses is the opportunity for micro-companies to take part as ?godmothers?. ?They will be able to get together in consortiums to sponsor the courses, committing to take on a number of those trained?, he says.