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Metal Mechanic Industry of Piracicaba Faces a Shortage of 3 Thousand Qualified Professionals, Resulting from a Lack of Interest and Qualification in Traditional Professions. To Meet This Demand, Unions and Local Businesses Promote Initiatives and Training Projects Aiming to Align Market Needs with the Supply of Specialized Labor.
Piracicaba, one of the main industrial hubs in the state of São Paulo, is facing a crisis in the metal-mechanic sector.
The lack of qualified professionals has created a bottleneck in hiring, leaving around 1,500 open positions in the city.
This phenomenon is directly related to the rapid automation of industrial processes and the difficulty in finding qualified workers to operate new technologies.
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Technological Advancement and the Lack of Skilled Labor
According to a report from the G1 portal, Erick Gomes, president of the Metalworking, Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, Steel, and Foundries Industries Union of Piracicaba (Simespi), explained that technological evolution has accelerated and impacted the need for worker training.
“A very simple example: in the past, you cut the sheet with a torch. Twenty years later, oxy-fuel cutting, plasma, and now laser machines came along. The change in technology has been very drastic and fast,” he explains.
With the substitution of traditional techniques for automated systems, the requirement for qualifications has grown exponentially.
Companies seek professionals with knowledge in software implementation and material utilization to operate new machines.
However, the available workforce does not keep pace with this evolution, making hiring a constant challenge.
Initiatives to Meet the Demand
To address this situation, some initiatives have emerged in an attempt to train new professionals.
Two years ago, the “Industry of Tomorrow” project was created, a partnership between unions, the National Service of Industrial Learning (Senai), the Diocese of Piracicaba, and the organization Army of Ants. The goal is to train teenagers from local communities to work in the sector.
“We look for teenagers in the communities, train them at Senai, all for free. Senai provides the spots, we supply uniforms, transport, food, and even a basic food basket to help. In two years, we have trained over 300 teenagers, and of those, nearly 150 are employed,” states Erick Gomes.
Despite the effort, high employee turnover prevents a balance in filling the vacancies.
High Turnover Impedes Market Balance
Even with training programs, the sector still suffers from workforce instability.
According to data from the General Registry of Employed and Unemployed (Caged) from the Ministry of Labor and Employment, the metallurgy sector recorded a negative balance of 26 vacancies in 2024. There were 506 hires and 532 terminations during the period.
Erick Gomes attributes this fluctuation to two main factors: job changes for higher salaries and withdrawals from the FGTS.
“The big problem today is what? You bring people in, but there’s always someone who will leave. These negative vacancies are most likely due to people resigning to access the severance funds. The indebtedness of the population is very high,” he explains.
Furthermore, professionals seek better salaries in other companies, even if the difference is small.
Impact of High Interest Rates on the Sector
Another factor influencing the recovery of the metal-mechanic sector in Piracicaba is the high interest rate in Brazil.
According to Erick Gomes, many industries are interested in expanding, but economic instability hinders investments.
“The sector is heated, and even a multinational that was in the ABC Paulista is coming to Piracicaba. But you need to have investment capacity. In the current scenario, this becomes complicated due to the high interest rate,” he highlights.
Industry expectations are that, with reduced interest rates, industrial investment would grow again, expanding opportunities for new professionals.
However, to meet growing demand, it will be essential to strengthen training programs and attract more workers to the segment.
Além de pagarem mal, existe a concorrência direta do governo e seus auxílios.
Vai piorar!
Discordo disso, mão de obra têm, o que acontece e que o nível de exigência, mesmo para as mais simples funções, é muito alto, inclusive a experiência exigida e a prática da etariedade, onde profissionais com mais de 40 não tem mais chance. Quando voltarem a dar valor a esse grupo e oportunidades justas ao iniciantes, esse “problema”acaba.
Os empregadores reclamam da falta de funcionários, mas não conseguem oferecer melhores salários e benefícios.