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Brazilian industry accelerates training programs to tackle the lack of technical professionals, while companies expand local partnerships, open free courses, and try to bring communities closer to the jobs created by expanding production chains in the country.
The lack of qualified technical professionals has started to pressure the Brazilian industry, leading companies to take on part of the worker training, in a scenario that will require 14 million qualified people in industrial occupations by 2027.
This data is part of the Industrial Work Map 2025-2027, prepared by the National Industry Observatory, linked to the National Confederation of Industry, and combines the need to train new workers with the updating of those already in the market.
According to the Industry News Agency, 2.2 million professionals will need initial training to fill vacancies and new opportunities, while 11.8 million will need to undergo training and professional development processes.
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Training gains strength in the face of a lack of professionals
In industrial regions outside the capitals, the pressure for specialized labor tends to be even more intense, as large production operations advance at a faster pace than the local supply of workers prepared for technical roles.
To address this mismatch, companies linked to the forest-based industry have started to expand partnerships with city halls, educational institutions, and entities of the S System, focusing on maintenance, machine operation, and forestry activities.
In this movement, Bracell, a company in the soluble and specialty cellulose sector, formalized on June 16, 2026, a partnership with the City Hall of Lençóis Paulista, in the interior of São Paulo, to offer free courses to the community.
The training will be conducted at the Municipal Professional Training Center, in the Júlio Ferrari neighborhood, focusing on technical areas related to heavy machinery, a segment related to the forestry sector and the demand of companies installed in the region.
Bracell invests R$ 5 million in free courses
According to Bracell, around R$ 5 million were allocated to enable training in Lençóis Paulista, with technical support from Operational Development teams and the Bracell Learning Institute.
In the first phase of the partnership, courses in Heavy Machinery Maintenance, with 200 hours of instruction, and Maintenance of Air Conditioning Systems for Heavy Machinery, with 120 hours, will be offered.
In-person classes are expected to take place from Monday to Friday, from 7 PM to 10 PM, with a start date scheduled for August 2026, following the registration period and candidate screening phase.
According to the rules released by the company, the courses are intended for individuals aged 18 or older, with a high school diploma or currently enrolled, provided their studies do not conflict with class times.
Technical training brings residents closer to job opportunities
With this initiative, residents of the region will be able to prepare for opportunities in local companies, suppliers in the forestry sector, and potential selection processes at Bracell itself, always subject to the availability of vacancies and criteria set by the hiring companies.
Regarding the partnership, the company stated that technical training helps connect the community with professions related to the sector and contributes to building new professional paths in high-demand areas.
For the mayor of Lençóis Paulista, André Paccola Sasso, the partnership aims to transform the city into a training hub focused on heavy machinery, an area that demands labor and still has a low local supply of courses.
This scenario highlights a recurring challenge in the Brazilian industry, as the expansion of productive activities depends not only on factories, equipment, and technology but also on workers prepared to operate and maintain complex systems.
Demand for qualification changes according to the region
The CNI survey shows that the need for qualification follows the economic profile of each state, as the most demanded areas vary according to the presence of specific productive sectors.
In the case of São Paulo, logistics and transportation, metalworking, industrial operation, construction, and information technology will concentrate 61% of the future demand for professional training between 2025 and 2027, according to the National Industry Observatory.
From this perspective, it becomes clearer why local training actions have gained strategic importance for industrial companies, especially in municipalities that host large operations and need to expand the base of available technical professionals.
Although the shortage of qualified labor has a national reach, the response tends to be territorial, with courses designed for the needs of each production chain and for the most difficult positions to fill in each region.
Bahia receives training for forest machinery operation
In Bahia, Bracell also maintains the Harvesting Talents program, conducted in partnership with Senai, offering free training focused on forest machinery operation and encouraging female participation in the sector.
The initiative opened applications in May 2026 for 12 spots in the harvester machine operator course, which combines theoretical and practical training, with classes scheduled to start in July of the same year.
According to the company, the program is connected to Bracell 2030’s social goals, which include promoting equal opportunities for women in technical roles historically occupied by men.
Within this strategy, the female presence in operational areas of the forestry sector is part of a broader front of training, diversity, and expanding access to technical professions in highly specialized industrial chains.
Female entrepreneurship expands social front
In addition to technical qualification, the company’s activities reach entrepreneurship and income generation programs, such as Dona Della, aimed at women entrepreneurs who receive training, mentorship, and access to support networks.
In 2025, Bracell reported achieving 73% of social impact business projects led by women, surpassing the target set for 2030 in this area of action.
In the same period, the company declared an investment of R$ 9.9 million in social initiatives, with over 159,000 people in Brazil benefiting from actions related to qualification, entrepreneurship, and community development.
According to Milene Damasceno Lopes, Training and Development Coordinator at Bracell, expanding access to qualification and entrepreneurship allows more people to develop skills and increase their income generation opportunities.
With millions of workers to be qualified by 2027, can local technical training become the main path to reducing the professional deficit and expanding opportunities outside major centers?
