OEC Education Program, which aims to teach literacy to young people and adults, has opened a new class for members of the Xerém Water Treatment Plant -WTP, in Baixada Fluminense. The inaugural class took place last Monday, February 19.

The program is the result of OEC’s partnership with RHUMO Educação, a company that has been providing pedagogical guidance for over three decades, with assessments and monitoring of each student’s progress. Alexandre Baltar, OEC’s ESG Director, explains that investing in education is essential both for the individual development of employees and for promoting social inclusion. “By valuing different experiences and skills, we create a more dynamic and productive environment, increasing the chances of employability and innovation,” he says.

The new OEC class is made up of 16 students and will last 11 months, with an average of two hours of classes a day, held from Monday to Thursday. “I’m looking forward to learning more so that I can continue my studies, take courses and work as a nurse in the nursery. This opportunity will help me realize my dream of graduating,” says kitchen assistant Monique Silva.

For bricklayer João Batista, Escolinha is a chance to improve his knowledge and make new discoveries. “This opportunity is very important for me, I hope to learn a lot of things I don’t know yet. I want to use phone apps and read faster,” he explains. At the end of the course, each student will be sent to take exams at public schools, thus enabling them to continue their studies, as well as broadening the horizons of each worker for opportunities to grow in their professions through education.

Although the construction sector has historically been considered a low-education labor market, the OEC is reinforcing its commitment to offering qualifications and helping to reduce this rate. According to the Annual Social Information Report -Rais- 2021, the latest data available, only 0.59% of workers in the construction sector declared themselves illiterate. The result is 34% lower than in RAIS 2015, 66% lower than in RAIS 2001 2.44% and 89% lower than in RAIS 1988 5.3%.

In 2024, one of the objectives of the National Education Plan is the eradication of illiteracy. Despite the progressive reduction in illiteracy over the last few years, 10 million is still a significant number to tackle in just one year, especially considering that the literacy rate is related to social, political and economic circumstances. However, when it comes to the construction sector, the information is more positive.

OEC School has already trained students at the BRT Transbrasil and BRT Transoeste construction sites. At the OEC Terminais, Marapicu and Campo Grande construction sites, educational activities will continue in 2024. In 2023, more than 40 students were trained, accounting for more than 800 hours of classes. The forecast is to reach 100 trained students after the conclusion of the OEC School classes in RJ. The initiative is one of the results of OEC’s commitment to the education of its employees, with a view to materializing the new Sustainability Policies, included in SDGs 1 -Eradication of Poverty, 4 Quality Education, 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth and 10 Reduction of Inequalities.