Overview
SENAI is the national industrial learning service in Brazil, part of the industry system. It offers vocational, technical and higher-education courses and a skills certification process. SENAC is its counterpart for commerce and services, and it is a separate organisation. The sources read cover SENAI only. SENAC's national site returned an access-blocked page when read, so SENAC is not described here. There is no single national exam. Courses are offered through schools in each state. The pages are in Portuguese.
Types of course
| Type | What the site says |
|---|---|
| Vocational (profissionalizante) | For people studying or having finished secondary school, aimed at practical, specific skills |
| Technical | Lasts 1 to 2 years. You must be studying or have finished secondary school |
| Higher education | Graduation, postgraduate and MBA courses through UniSENAI.Digital, with technical, management, entrepreneurship and research tracks |
| Certification | Exams that recognise skills already gained |
| Free courses | Online, self-paced courses with a certificate |
Courses are given face-to-face, online or in a hybrid mode.
Certification exams
SENAI certifies people who learned a trade in practice. It runs exams to identify skills, competence and technical knowledge. After passing, the person gets a certificate that SENAI describes as internationally recognised. Written and practical exams take place at SENAI exam centres (CEC), located in SENAI schools and colleges across Brazil. Areas named on the page include automotive, civil construction, information technology, clothing, metalworking and tourism.
Jovem Aprendiz
This is a free business apprenticeship programme for a first job. SENAI lists these terms:
For young people aged 14 to 24, from the 9th grade or with secondary school finished.
Maximum length of 2 years, which can be longer for students with disabilities.
Daily hours of 4, 6 or 8 depending on schooling.
Pay based on the minimum hourly wage, with the usual worker rights such as holidays, 13th salary, transport voucher and FGTS.
More than 120 hours of training, in person and online, with a mentor.
Courses offered depend on the region, school and local labour demand.
How to apply
Choose a course type on the SENAI site, pick your state and find a school nearby. Fees, intake dates and entry steps are not listed on these pages. The site says it has operated in 5,301 municipalities.