Company has established collaborations with SENAI-SP, Ministry of Labor and Employment, UNICEF, Enap and NGOs to offer AI courses and AI 900 certification to students, teachers, communities, public sector and society in general
Microsoft Brazil has expanded its training programs and announced ConectAI, which will provide training in artificial intelligence (AI) skills to 5 million people across the country. The initiative is part of the R$14.7 billion investment announced by Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, during the AI Tour event in Sao Paulo.
Lucia Rodrigues, Director of AI Training at Microsoft Brazil, explains that the initiatives that make up the program will help teachers, professionals seeking new jobs, and students at different stages of their learning to gain training in digital skills focused on AI. “ConectAI is an important milestone in our commitment to ensuring the democratization of AI and access to the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in the digital age. With strategic partnerships and free courses, our goal is to equip Brazilians with the necessary knowledge to make the most of the opportunities that are emerging with the changes driven by AI. This investment also reflects our commitment to contributing to equitable economic opportunities by offering AI fluency at scale,” she says.
According to Future of Work Report 2023 According to the World Economic Forum’s report, which addresses expectations about the evolution of jobs in the period from 2023 to 2027, training employees to use AI and big data in their work routines will be prioritized by 42% of companies in the next five years. The report concludes that AI will be the main investment in training for companies with more than 50 thousand employees and, according to the Work Trend Index, 66% of leaders said they would not hire someone without AI skills.
ConectAI partners include SENAI (National Industrial Training Service), which will offer AI fluency courses, training and AI 900 certification for students, teachers and the community. “The expansion of the partnership between SENAI-SP and Microsoft reinforces our mutual commitment to the dissemination of new technologies. Together, we are preparing students, teachers and the community for the challenges of the Industry, offering training in artificial intelligence, which opens doors to greater inclusion and opportunities in the job market,” says Ricardo Terra, Regional Director of SENAI-SP.
Additionally, Microsoft will expand its collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Employment through the “Escola do Trabalhador 4.0” program, which aims to provide access to digital skills so that Brazilians can stay up to date with the technologies demanded by the job market. “The MTE has been working with Microsoft to build digital skills training to support the Brazilian population in training in the most current technologies. The initiatives we are developing to disseminate knowledge in AI will be essential to promote inclusion in the digital environment and generate more employability in the country,” said Luiz Marinho, Minister of Labor and Employment.
Another partnership will be with Nova Escola, an NGO focused on supporting teachers and which, together with Microsoft, will provide training in AI skills to support educators in their challenges inside and outside the classroom. To reach young people, especially those seeking their first job opportunity, Microsoft will continue its partnership with UNICEF, which will integrate AI skills courses into the program. 1MiO program, with the purpose of reducing the number of people between 18 and 25 years old who are neither studying nor working.
And to train public servants in the technological field and improve services to society, Microsoft has joined forces with ENAP to provide both fluency and productivity content and technical skills to foster technological innovation in the public sector.
There are 26 ConectAI partners in total who will provide Brazilians with access to various training courses offered by Microsoft. All platforms will be available on the website: https://aka.ms/conectAI. The courses are open and free to anyone interested in learning digital skills, with a focus on individuals over the age of 14.
Program Impact
From January 2021 to August 2024, Microsoft impacted 12.7 million people, helping them learn more about digital literacy, Office, and AI. In addition, the program trained 2.7 million people, meaning almost 3 million people completed at least one Microsoft course.
Vivian Carolina, a resident of Maracanaú, Ceará, was one of the people who participated in the training and now applies the knowledge in her work and personal life. A descendant of the Pitaguary and Tapeba ethnic groups, Vivian works in logistics and has always been interested in technology. After taking courses offered by Trust for the Americas, one of the 26 ConectAI partners, in the areas of basic computing, secretarial work, application development and English offered by Microsoft, she got a job at a technology company and began a mentoring program to learn how to use Copilot for various research projects and personal development. “In addition to the courses, I have been mentoring a Microsoft professional and this has opened my mind to the power of artificial intelligence. Today, I use AI for everything: research, image creation, exploring new ideas and studying languages. Now, I want to start using this technology to communicate the importance of preserving nature to the world,” she says.
More details about Vivian's story can be found in this video: Microsoft Conecta+ l Vivian Carolina: how Microsoft mentoring transformed her life (youtube.com)
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) creates AI-powered platforms and tools to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. The technology company is committed to making AI widely available and doing so responsibly, with the mission of empowering every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. In Brazil for 35 years, the company launched the Microsoft Mais Brasil Plan in 2020, with the objective of supporting the country’s sustainable economic development, contributing with actions capable of preparing professionals for the digital economy, reducing inequalities and promoting digital inclusion.
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