Senate approves expansion of Pronatec for rural extension entities

The Senate approved this Tuesday (28) the inclusion of public institutions providing technical assistance and rural extension services in Pronatec (National Program for Access to Technical Education and Employment).

The program, created in 2011 by the federal government, aims to increase access to technical education and professional qualification for low-income youth and adults.

The text had already been approved in the Chamber of Deputies and, now, goes to the sanction of President Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

With the change, Pronatec will be able to be carried out with the participation of non-profit private entities and public institutions that provide official technical assistance and rural extension services.

These institutions will be subject to the same requirements imposed on non-profit private entities: the signing of an agreement or contract, as well as the obligation to render accounts for the resources, in accordance with the pertinent legislation.

The rapporteur of the project, Paulo Rocha (PT-PA), cited the justification of the author of the project, former deputy Marinha Raupp (PMDB-RO), in his opinion.

She said that in some regions, especially the North and Northeast, it could be compromised by the lack of capillarity of professional education institutions, both public and private, including the entities of the S System.

Therefore, he suggests expanding Pronatec, offering professional training courses, particularly in the Pronatec-Campo area.

“Thus, expanding the range of institutions qualified to offer training courses for workers is a highly salutary measure, especially in the rural sector, where the lack of qualifications to meet the demands of modernization and productivity of agriculture are blatant”, concluded the rapporteur.

The public power will have to define minimum quality criteria so that the official institutions of technical assistance and public rural extension can receive financial resources from Pronatec.