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National initiative opens path for youth to enter technology with free training, competitive selection, and possibility of financial support during in-person course in different Brazilian states, combining distance learning and practical classes focused on employability.
Petrobras and SENAI have launched a new front of the program Petrobras Autonomy and Income – Technology, with a two-stage pathway that begins with 10,000 free slots in Digital Literacy, in the distance learning modality, and can lead 420 youth to in-person training as Full Stack Developers in seven states.
The initiative is aimed at candidates aged 17 to 22 years and prioritizes historically underrepresented groups, such as women, black people, and transgender individuals.
The SENAI National Department’s notice establishes that the initial phase has 40 hours and national reach, while the next stage includes 14 in-person classes of 670 hours.
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Students approved for the in-person course receive financial support for up to 10 months, provided they maintain active enrollment and regular attendance, which makes the program a relevant entry point for low-income youth interested in technology.
How the Petrobras Autonomy and Income Program Works
The structure was designed to broaden access before narrowing down the selection.
First, the participant takes the online Digital Literacy course and must complete it to proceed.
Then, only those who complete the course undergo a professional profile analysis conducted in a digital environment, used to rank candidates for the in-person stage.
This point is central because certification in the initial course does not guarantee automatic placement in the programming training.
The notice makes it clear that the second phase depends on classification, with weight given to place of residence, adherence to the technical and socio-emotional profile, and application of cumulative bonuses aimed at affirmative actions.
Cities with In-Person Slots in the SENAI Programming Course
The 420 in-person slots are distributed across SENAI units in Macapá, Natal, Salvador, Canoas, Rio de Janeiro, Aracaju, and Santos.
Each city will have two classes of 30 students, totaling 60 slots per municipality, with the expected start date for all of them being April 27, 2026, with a daily load of four in-person hours, from Monday to Friday.
In addition to the host city, the program also accepts candidates who live in surrounding municipalities defined in the coverage framework.
Included in this rule are, for example, Santana and Mazagão in Amapá; Parnamirim and São Gonçalo do Amarante in Rio Grande do Norte; Lauro de Freitas and Camaçari in Bahia; Porto Alegre and São Leopoldo in Rio Grande do Sul; as well as Niterói, Duque de Caxias, Nossa Senhora do Socorro, São Vicente, and other cities listed in the announcement.
Requirements to participate in the free SENAI Petrobras course
To enter the national phase of Digital Literacy, the candidate must be between 17 and 22 years old and have either completed or be enrolled in the 3rd year of high school.
The program also requires income criteria, focusing on young people in situations of social vulnerability, and the institutional page of Petrobras states that the technology axis was created specifically for this age group.
In the in-person stage, the requirements increase.
In addition to presenting the certificate of the initial course, the selected candidate must prove residence in the coverage area of the chosen unit and meet the socioeconomic criteria outlined in the announcement, which mentions a family income per capita of up to one minimum wage upon entry and details, at the in-person enrollment, the proof of low income through self-declaration and supporting documents.
The selection process also prioritizes women, black or brown people, transgender individuals, transsexuals, and travestis, with an intersectional bonus system.
In practice, this means that extra points can accumulate when the candidate fits into more than one group covered by the affirmative actions outlined in the selection.
Monthly scholarship and benefits for students in the in-person course
Although the initial announcement highlighted a scholarship of about R$ 700 per month, the announcement details more precise amounts for the in-person stage.
The student with regular attendance receives R$ 706 per month as assistance to the participant, in addition to transportation assistance calculated on up to four daily fares of R$ 6 and food assistance of R$ 25 per class day.
In practice, the fixed amount of the scholarship is less than the R$ 800 mentioned in promotional calls, but the additional amounts can increase the total support depending on the school days and commuting.
Still, the announcement also warns that absences may lead to deductions in benefits and that the student must maintain at least 75% attendance and a minimum performance of 60% in each curricular unit.
How to enroll in the free Petrobras course with SENAI
Access to the announcement of the Technology axis is on the announcement page of the program Autonomy and Income Petrobras, maintained by the initiative, and the registration button directs the candidate to the Futuro.Digital platform, used in the online stage of Digital Literacy.
As the deadline stated in the schedule has already passed, anyone interested needs to follow new amendments or future calls on the official channels of the program, Petrobras, and SENAI.
