Public school students receive IT training from an Indian company

ManageEngine, a division of Zoho Corporation, one of the main providers of enterprise information technology management solutions, launched the “Learn IT with ManageEngine” project on July 24th. 

The event took place at Colégio Estadual Jornalista Maurício Azêdo, located in the Caju neighborhood, Zona Portuária (Port Zone) of Rio de Janeiro. 

This school serves students, in general, deprived of career opportunities due to facing socioeconomic challenges. Now, with the implementation of the course, the Indian company wants to encourage participants’ learning and interest in information technology-related careers, promoting true immersion and cultural exchange.

Lack of professionals in the job market 

The course, lasting 30 hours divided into 15 classes of 2 hours each, will be aimed at young people aged 15 to 17 and will be taught by ManageEngine experts. Among the main objectives is to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of the area. 

Although careers in IT are on the rise, the industry still faces a shortage of talent in this area. Studies indicate that, by 2025, almost 800,000 job vacancies should appear in areas of high demand, but there are still few professionals to fill these roles. 

By investing in the training of young professionals, ManageEngine intends to contribute to the development of the sector in Brazil, promoting the transfer of knowledge and technology.

Cultural exchange 

The initiative is part of the Brazil-India cultural exchange project in schools, carried out in partnership with the Consulate of India, in Rio de Janeiro, the Friends of India Association and the Rio de Janeiro Department of Education. 

The launch event for the project featured an attentive, young and engaged audience, with the friendly speaker Tonimar Dal Aba, technical manager at ManageEngine, as speaker. 

Also present were Leonardo Ananda, Honorary Consul of India in Rio de Janeiro; Monica Tadeu, director of the school; representatives of the Associação de Amigos da Índia and other authorities linked to education.

Coluna da Neuza went to the location, recorded the event, interviewed some participants and heard about the expectations of some of the students who will participate in the course. 

Asked about how she was feeling about the launch of the project, Miriam Medeiros, undersecretary of planning and strategic actions at the Secretaria de Estado de Educação do Rio de Janeiro (SEEDUC RJ), said that the moment was bringing together a series of actions already carried out at the school and, therefore, the partnership with the consulate is very important for everyone involved.

“Intercultures make all the difference and this is a successful project. I always tell our secretary, professor Roberta Barreto, that this project should be extended to the entire network. The network has to have this intercultural approach, with an emphasis on English, Spanish, as well as other languages, of course,” she declared. 

Mônica Azevedo, director of the College, said that this initiative is part of an intercultural project between the Department of Education and the Consulate of India, which aims to contribute not only to the appropriation and understanding of Indian culture by students, but also to deepen students’ knowledge of the English language. 

“They will have training beyond what is offered in regular high school, they will have the possibility of speaking another language fluently. In addition to English, the consulate adds another value for us, which is the contribution in technology, which is very strong in India”. 

“In the long term, I see another window of opportunities opening up for my students. I see it as an event that, without a shadow of a doubt, will make a difference in each of their CVs. Favela do Caju is very lacking in opportunities. Here, there are many incredible talents and students, but there is a lack of opportunities to be taken advantage of.” 

“It’s their future, I think they’ve gained quite a tool. And we will do our best to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible and that they benefit 100% from this course”, concludes the director.

ManageEngine’s Public Relations Manager in Brazil, Venkatesan, stated that his expectations for the program are high, as he considers this initiative very necessary. 

“Right now, students need skills to prosper in life, so this is a very important initiative, which is providing many opportunities. Students need to be skilled because at the end of the day, if you have to survive, skills are the key. Students need these opportunities so they can improve those skills”, said Venkatesan enthusiastically. 

Consul Leonardo Ananda said that the partnership with SEDUC will complete two years, developing several projects to bring a little bit of India to the school hosting the project. 

“We are very happy with the partnership involving an Indian company, because we believe that this will bring a lot of newness and innovation to students. And, above all, prepare them for the job market.” 

“The course starts on August 14, 2024, and, after training, each participant will receive a certificate from a large Indian technology company, which will prepare them to work in the area in the near future.”

“What impact will it have on the future of these students? If they are engaged, the impact will be immeasurable and the result will also reach their families and communities, bringing many positive consequences”, said the Consul.

Growth opportunity 

“We are concerned about knowing how much we will give back to society with everything we are working on here. So, some of our projects are to help develop Brazil technically and create a workforce that is more prepared for the day-to-day life of this market that has changed so much in recent years.” 

“If, for example, we take the issue of education, today children are born plugged into the internet, connected to wifi. So, we need to help institutions and schools train talent to face these modern challenges that are happening in the world.” 

“India started exporting talent to manage companies around the world and we see here in Brazil a great opportunity to replicate this model and help contribute especially to these children who, for various reasons, do not have opportunities like others”. 

“Although they have their cell phones in their hands, there are still many opportunities left. Our intention is to help communities, especially with the profile we are in, to develop and be able to fight on equal terms or even better”, concluded Leonardo Ananda.

What do the students think? 

“My expectation for this project and the course is that we will be able to learn about information technology and then I will feel encouraged to move forward, wanting to work with this in the future”, declared Lohan Dias, 19 years old. 

“My main objective is to learn more from the course, enhance my CV and have job doors open easily”, said Maria Rita, 18 years old. 

“I believe that the change that the project will bring to my future is the opening of multiple doors for me to be able to work in an area that I like, which is IT”, said Miguel, 17 years old.