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InovaSenior Platform Seeks Senior Engineers For Workforce Repositioning, Bets On Artificial Intelligence, And Aims To Raise R$ 15 Million In Five Years. The Project Starts With 200 Professionals And Targets Strategic Sectors Of The Economy.
Alumni from USP and ITA launched a program entitled InovaSenior, a platform aimed at reconnecting engineers aged 60 and older with the job market and helping to reduce the estimated deficit of 75,000 professionals in the country.
The initiative starts with an initial pool of 200 engineers graduated from both institutions and proposes to use artificial intelligence and principles of environmental, social, and corporate governance to connect technical expertise with companies, startups, and institutions seeking strategic vision.
How The InovaSenior Platform Works
The InovaSenior was designed to serve as a link between the supply and demand for skilled labor.
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The digital system will match professional profiles with project needs, with curation focused on innovation and digital transformation contexts.
In addition to selection processes, the platform provides for activities to update technologies and management methodologies to facilitate the productive reintegration of senior engineers.
Coordination And Objectives
At the helm of the coordination is a group of alumni advocating for the repurposing of accumulated intellectual capital.
“Seniors are today a reservoir of competence and technical qualification that will enable us to grow as we face the challenge of improving our education to meet the needs of our companies and businesses,” said Ricardo Pessoa, a 65-year-old electrical engineer and one of the coordinators.
Professional Experience Applied To Engineering
The participation of professionals with extensive backgrounds is seen as a relevant factor in engineering decisions.
For Roberto Thiell, a 59-year-old aerospace engineer and a collaborator in structuring InovaSenior, the accumulation of experiences contributes to safer choices and helps avoid rework.
According to him, the history of mistakes and successes serves as a guide for decisions in high-pressure environments.
In the same vein, Juliana Ramalho, a production engineer graduated from USP in 2001 and a businesswoman focused on senior talent, notes that familiarity with technical communication and the ability to contextualize the use of AI can speed up diagnostics and solutions.
Growth Of The Elderly Population In Brazil
The launch occurs against a backdrop of population aging and greater active longevity.
Projections from IBGE indicate that Brazil could have around 75.3 million people aged 60 or older by 2070, which will account for 37.8% of the population.
In Ricardo Pessoa’s view, the demographic transition opens up space for new formats of professional engagement.
“We have the bonus of longevity. A lot is happening, and 60 is the new 40. There is a lot of energy these people can contribute to the productive process,” he said.
Engineer Deficit In Brazil
The 75,000 engineers deficit cited by sector entities is linked to difficulties in training and retaining talent.
Engineering courses report dropout rates before graduation, often due to migration to fields with higher starting salaries.
Electrical engineering professor at USP, Dorel Ramos describes the phenomenon: part of the students leave the program to work in the financial market or in sectors that do not require professional registration or direct contact with engineering practice.
Productive Reintegration And Social Impact
In addition to responding to labor demand, the project aims to reduce social effects of aging. Formal retirement, when not accompanied by new activities, can lead to isolation.
“What happens to people who retire at 60 or 65 years? They gradually become invisible and completely alienated. The consequence of this is depression and death,” warned Ricardo Pessoa, citing well-known cases of loss of connections after the end of professional activity.
Funding And Goals
The project will be funded by donations to the Senior Fund, with the possibility of tax deductions on Income Tax for companies and individuals.
The fundraising goal is R$ 15 million over five years, an amount meant to cover platform operations, training programs, and project monitoring.
In the initial plan, the stakeholders estimate to train 200 senior engineers in the first three years, develop 10 innovation projects with measurable impact, and engage more than 300 partner companies across different production chains.
USP And ITA Leading The Project
The network of alumni from both schools is involved in the initiative.
Duperron Ribeiro, director of the alumni platform of the Polytechnic School of USP (PoliAlumni), stated that InovaSenior seeks to “transform experience into a strategic asset for the country.” The alumni association of ITA (AEITA) also supports the action.
For Rafael Rosa, vice president of the entity, this is “a necessary movement in the face of the shortage of qualified engineers in Brazil and the wasted potential of thousands of experienced professionals who still want, can, and are capable of contributing.”
Connection With Companies And Startups
The practical application will occur in different fronts. In large companies, the priority will be to reinforce teams that lead complex projects and require accumulated knowledge in safety, reliability, and systems integration.
In startups, the focus will be on governance, scalability, regulation, and transitioning from proof of concept to the commercial phase.
The platform will monitor the matching between demands and profiles, with indicators of time, cost, and quality to measure results. The use of artificial intelligence in screening competencies aims to expedite the process and reduce selection biases.
Challenges And Next Steps
The organizers of InovaSenior identify obstacles that need to be addressed for the initiative to gain scale.
One of the central points is the adaptation of work hours for senior professionals, balancing flexibility in hours with project delivery deadlines.
Another challenge is the constant updating of new technologies, requiring ongoing training programs to keep engineers aligned with sector demands.
There is also the issue of contractual models: companies need to define formats that allow temporary or project-based hiring, ensuring legal security for both professionals and employers.
Measuring the impact is also considered strategic, with plans for periodic reports showing the number of effective placements, participation in innovation projects, and financial returns for partner companies.
In the coming months, the platform intends to expand the registry of engineers beyond the initial 200 and test the first pilot projects in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and information technology.
The goal is to assess the performance of the formed teams, correct operational flaws, and consolidate metrics that serve as a reference for the continuation of the program.
With these points in mind, the discussion that arises is: which sectors of the Brazilian economy will have the greatest capacity to absorb senior engineers and translate their experience into concrete results?
Boa tarde. Como eu faço para participar desse evento. Não sou formado no ITA , mas tenho muita experiência e gostaria de usar aquilo que fiz a minha visa toda.
Tenho o mesmo interesse.
Onde, como e quando podem inscrever as pessoas. Estou aguardando… Quero entrar na fila.
Consequência dessa geração Z de zoreiudos que não querm pegar no pesado e as vezes nem pesado é. Querem viver so de internet, falo por experiencia própria tenho em casa, geração que querem arrumar o mundo mas não arrumam nem a cama que dormem.
Exatamente isso. Acham que estão destinados a grandes realizações e só falta aparecer alguém que reconheça seu talento.
Cara seu comentário é uma piada, esse negócio de escassez não existe, tem gente formada a rodo em engenharia mas não ingressam mais na área o problema é que ninguém quer ganhar mixaria. O piso salarial virou peça de museu, e os salários de entrada mal pagam o aluguel. Hoje em dia, é mais vantajoso um engenheiro migrar pra área financeira do que se humilhar na própria profissão e é exatamente isso que está acontecendo.
Você provavelmente é alguém mais velho, o que não seria problema se a cabeça não tivesse envelhecido junto. Tenta dar uma arejada nas ideias e olhar o mundo real fora da sua bolha de “no meu tempo”.