PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AS CATALYZER OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CONTEXT
OF COOPERATION NETWORKS IN CLUSTERS
Eduardo Dias Leite
Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Spain
Instituto Federal de Brasília, Brazil
E-mail: eduardodiasleite@ifb.edu.br
F. Xavier Molina-Morales
Universitat Jaume I (UJI), Spain
E-mail:
xaiver.molina@emp.uji.es
Edgar Reyes Júnior
University of Brasilia (UnB), Brazil
E-mail: prof.edreyes@gmail.com
Submission: 12/04/2016
Accept: 30/04/2016
ABSTRACT
Professional training, with knowledge spreading, promotes the fruitful
actions for local development within the context of networks among
organizations or clusters that constitute an organizational form able to be
identified in several productive and innovative sectors. In the training for human resources, diverse educational
and training actors seek to connect knowledge offer to local economical need. This
article aims to describe the professional education in Brazil, in the scope of
networks present in clusters which cooperate for local development, based on
the main Brazilian economical activities, with a focus on the Federal District.
For the development of this research, concerning the methodological aspects,
the research was descriptive and for data collection documentary and
bibliographic resources were used, on the basis of an analysis on the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílio,
from IBGE, with the aid of SPSS program. The results highlight the main
activities that need labor force in the Federal District and compare with what
is really being offered in Brazil, whose service sector shows higher relevance.
Keywords:
professional
education, local development, cooperation, inter-organizational networks
This research was supported by “CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education
of Brazil”.
1. INTRODUCTION
The professional education has
shown itself as a relevant tool for the consolidation of the regional
development, whose corporate training is provided with a network of
institutions which Interact with several productive segments. Participation in
a network leads to commitment and the sharing of responsibilities within that
segment, so that there is complementarity between the various participants of
that segment.
The basis for this statement
is the fact that the complementarity of assets leads to a process of changes
over time, which decreases the asymmetry of information and generates
confidence, at the same time in which inhibits opportunistic behavior that
would result in another type of economy other than transaction cost Williamson
(1991).
However, in order
to feature a productive arrangement, a cluster of enterprises must follow the
requirements: physical proximity, working together, some kind of productive
specialization, cooperation and confidence among its members. In addition to
these factors, its success commonly explained from joints with institutions,
such as universities, banks, technological institutes, support services to
production and management. This template is associated with the idea of the
network, in which there is a great power of interconnection between producers,
consumers, suppliers and institutions Zapata, Amorim and Arns
(2007).
An economic growth
much more accentuated in peripheral regions has been observed in Brazil over
the last decade, which featured a gradual internalization process of the
Brazilian economic activity. In this context, according to Castanhar (2006), this shift of economic activity to the interior of
the country was associated to the dynamism of productive agglomerations or
local productive arrangements (APLs) formed between micro, small and
medium-sized enterprises. Such agglomerations of enterprises would present
reasonable degree of interior coordination among themselves and between them
and other public or private institutions.
This article aims to describe
the professional education in Brazil, in the scope of networks inside clusters
which cooperate to local development, based on the main Brazilian economical
activities, emphasizing the Federal District. Thus, there is a new line of
study, highlighting the spread of applied knowledge, in the existing clusters,
in view of the importance of their training as generator of skilled labor,
taking into account a larger number of people in the region and promoting a
more sustainable development, when comparing with the existence of a major
industry exerting the same role.
Thus, in the
structure of this article, in addition to this introduction, the first topic of
theoretical foundation discusses, briefly, the concept of networks of
enterprises in the context of territorial settlements of enterprises, i.e. of
cooperation networks related to the public policies, to then start the
discussion that involves professional education as influencer of local
development. In the following topics, the methodology used at work, the
analysis and discussion of the results and conclusions are described.
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1.
Inter-organizational networks in public policies in
view of clusters development
“The term network derives from the Latin word
rete, which means interwoven threads, cords, string, or wire with regular
openings secured with a net, forming a type of cloth” (FISCHER; MELO, 2004:
21). Thus, according to Lazzarini (2008: 2), “a network is a collection of
people or companies (known technically as “us”), interlinked by means of the
most diverse types of relationships (links)”.
For a series of
reasons, including the advances and most profound changes that have occurred in
the economy and in society in general, which favor forms of organizational
networks, “the present trend for network
government is much broader, as well as of an entirely different kind, than any
other endeavor seen previously” (GOLDSMITH; EGGERS, 2006, p. 24).
The emergence of
the concept of networks in the context of current public administration, a
process that was intensified during the 90s, revealed the deficiencies that
existed in a series of traditional theoretical approaches which, when applied
to the various dimensions of State actions, sought to understand and explain
the standards of behavior of the actors involved. Once such paradigms no longer offered
convincing explanations when compared to new standards of organization, which
are marked by a growing fragmentation and interdependence of organizational and
inter-relations formats, the concept of networks began to be seen as a more
promising line to adopt, in essence because this provided a more appropriate
theoretical basis with which to describe and analyze these new elements.
Thus, “literature
about public administration shows the emergence of a new paradigm of public
management, based on the concept of networks as a response to the process of
transformation undergone by the State structure and its relationship with civil
society” (FLEURY; OUVERNEY, 2007: 40).
Vázquez-Barquero
(2005) states that one of the central objectives of the Government's
development policy is the support to the process of continuous improvement of
the territorial organization and business capacity. In addition, according to
Castanhar (2005), an additional and specific challenge to improve the chance of
success of the big government policies is to invest in corporate training
through policies appropriated and directed to such.
Within the
framework of public policies of development, according to Vázquez-Barquero (1995),
both strategies like the actions take on a different form in each local
development experience. The analysis of efforts to the creation of enterprises,
the promotion of technological change or the technical training — all key
actions on realization of the strategy — shows the complexity of this type of
policy.
In this sense,
modern economy, based on knowledge and innovation, confers a substantive
function to organizational agglomerates (clusters), which has meant that policy
makers have had to find new concepts of public intervention in regional areas,
so as to meet – from new standpoints - the challenges of regional development
based on agglomerates (WITTMANN et al.,
2004).
The existence of
agglomerates presupposes networks, which enable resources to be shared, that
can be technological, financial, human, information knowledge or any other
elements of interest to those involved, at different levels of participation.
These partnerships can become effective – by means of formal or informal
agreements -, and will develop based on the predisposition shown by two or more
individuals, organizations or institutions so as to enjoy the benefits of the
results obtained, based on the actions or production of each party that shares
this same link of commitment and trust.
According to Wittmann et al. (2004), in order
to form productive networks, the companies that form part of this agglomerate,
have to cooperate amongst themselves with the purpose of gaining competitive
advantages and carrying out joint actions together, that would otherwise be
difficult or impossible for one company to perform on its own. “These
circumstances lead to joint ventures, organizational networks, Local Production
Arrangements (APLs/LPAs) or clusters, local systems of innovation and production
(LSI/P), industrial areas, territorial agreements and other interactive
initiatives” (WITTMANN, 2004, p. 23).
According to Paim
(2005), inter-organizational networks have become the principle tools used to
promote regional development. The author
highlights the following as being the main tools employed: inter-municipal consortiums, citizen forums,
regional chambers, regional development agencies, sectorial chambers, clusters
or Local Productive Arrangements (LPAs), public interest organizations
(OSCIPs), and public-private partnerships (PPPs).
Casarotto Filho
and Pires (2001) cite productive agglomerations as being: productive chains, clusters, competitive
agglomerations, consortiums, local economic systems and company networks. Even
so, they prefer to qualify these as being simply micro and macro networks. A micro network is an association of
companies whose aim is to guarantee competitiveness of the group as a whole as
is the case, for instance, of a consortium. A macro network is an association
which, by using mechanisms of integration involving all representative bodies
within the region, is aimed at development.
Thus, Fischer and
Melo (2004) proposed a configuration for inter-organizations which are active
in the development of territorial regions,
a network which has three levels of complexity: the first level represents the organizations;
the second, how organizational structures are articulated within networks, and
the third represents the network of networks.
The organizations
at the first level are (FISCHER; MELO, 2004, p. 23):
Membership organizations, government and company organizations, as well as
funding agents, consultancy services, foundations, development banks and other
unobtrusive organizations, that develop strategic actions in relation to their
territorial region. Taking the form of
programs and projects, partnerships, cooperatives, the organizations articulate
on a second level: the level of
networks.
Membership organizations can organize thematic networks between themselves,
using different subjects, such as childhood, gender, health etc. They can also
set up networks in the form of partnerships or alliances to develop programs
and projects, which involve non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
The networks of networks have a higher level of complexity and can be
represented by forums and consortiums associated with territorial profiles in
the form of social-productive agreements and websites.
Casarotto Filho and Pires (2001) sought examples in the region that is today
considered by them to be one of the most advanced in the world in terms of
local development, built on a strong base of small businesses, which is the
region of Emilia Romagna. The authors
state that one of the reasons for the success of the small Emilia Romagna
company is their business associations, the relational network of which is
shown on Figure 1, with special emphasis given to small businesses
associations.
Figure 1: General model of a
network – development of a local economic system focused on the association of
small businesses.
Source: Casarotto Filho and Pires (2001: 162)
In this context, Amato Neto
(2000) comments that, even though it is a well-known fact that the experiences
involved in forming cooperation networks between organizations have been
diffused on a global scale since the decade of the 90s, some regions were
pioneers in this aspect, as is the case of the central-northern areas of Italy,
known as ‘the Third Italy’ (Emilia-Romagna, Vêneto and Lombardia). The first
horizontal cooperation networks were established in these locations, given that
these regions already provided a favorable scenario for developing linkages
between small and medium-sized businesses. And, yet, to Belso-Martinez et
al. (2013), with the effects of interaction between organizations is possible
to organize, acquire, assimilate and explore external resources. To achieve the
best performance the complementarity between internal and external resources
should be promoted, because the access to external resources is a necessary,
efficient condition for success.
In the debate on these new
organizational formats, the dimension of human resources training appears, that
is, the professional training, which has been discussed in the context of
development. This question will be debated in the following section.
2.2.
Professional education as booster of clusters
knowledge and development
To Albuquerque-Llorens (2001:
77), local development "is a process of economic development and
structural change that leads to an improvement in the standard of living of the
local population and where various dimensions can be distinguished":
environmental, economic, human resources training, administrative and
socio-political. Regarding the dimension for the educational aspect, there is the
training of human resources, in which the educational and training actors
negotiate the adequacy of the supply of knowledge innovation requirements of
local productive profiles with the local entrepreneurs.
In the context of networks of
institutions that cooperate for local development Castanhar (2005), warns that,
by means of agreements with educational institutions and with the financial
institutions themselves, decentralized training programs of short duration, and
with calendar that allows entrepreneurs to combine the program with their
professional activities can be offered. The program must include the essential
managerial dimensions: planning; human resource management; management of
information systems and technologies; marketing management; cost accounting and
corporate budget; management of financial resources and logistics resource
management. Thus, according to Castanhar (2006), there is government policies
aimed at micro or small business, by means of SEBRAE system, including training
programs.
Currently the organizational
networks are essential to facilitate the exchange of ideas and participation in
a global context, whose organizations become more structured groups and
responsible for distributing, disseminating and promoting the use of knowledge (SAÑUDO,
2012), where both creativity as a more central position in the network of
cooperation affects innovation (DEL-CORTE-LORA et al., 2015). In addition,
investment in professional education also enhances the qualities locations
(geographic, economic or cultural), resulting in the so desirable sustainable
development. A defense work of the development of a public policy for the
creation of cluster becomes important; this is a way to reduce regional social
inequalities by creating new and consistent regional circles of development in
regions that remained without prospects for growth, unproductive and poor and,
in this context, professional education, which for the purposes of this article
focuses on preferably the technology courses provide productive viability of
economic activities through know-how (FOGUEL; NORMANHA FILHO, 2007).
To Pacheco, Mesquita and Dias
(2015), it is important to note that it is not enough that needs are detected
and public policies are immediately implemented in order to remedy them or
minimize them. It is necessary the measurement and constant monitoring of the
evolution of its effective quality with regard to the services provided by
their actors (teachers, administrative technicians, managers etc.) and,
finally, the perception of the quality of these services by its customers
(students), as occurs in private higher education institutions. By the way, the
understanding of the perceptions of consumers, in case students, emerges as an
important element in the process of evaluation of the Federal Institutions due
mainly to their own peculiarities and, therefore, the measurement of the
performance of different attributes must necessarily involve the perception
their main users. Pacheco at al. (2015), approach on professional education in
degree courses and Government´s concern on professional and technological
quality. The higher education sector in Brazil, considered the provision of
services, has been explored in academic studies. Since most educators in this
area, come out of the Academy without a practical experience, the strength of
the formation comes from the theoretical part, requiring a greater connection
with the world of work and it's about that context, with demand growth and the
increase in the provision of places for students in higher education that the
concern with quality in the provision of the service offered by higher
education institutions (HEIs) grows. In this context, according to Davok
(2007), during the last few years, Governments have shown concern about the quality
of education through their public policies.
A quite current approach is
made by Dias, Cardoso and Hoffmann (2014), when it issues the lack of equality
in the distribution of investment in different regions of Brazil, and the
privilege made some areas at the expense of others, has caused a process of
uneven development across the country. Regional inequalities were pronounced
and replicated within a cycle of impoverishment, resulting in the stagnation of
the economy and low levels of social well-being for some regions that coexist
alongside areas that are extremely dynamic in socioeconomic terms, thus forming
a pattern of social inequality and lack of opportunities. In this sense, the
authors confirm that the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC) is also involved
in the intervention process, using a policy of extension created by the Federal
Network of Professional Education, Science and Technology, which, in addition
to conducting field research and extension, also offers professional and
technical training courses, postgraduate education and technical programs in
accordance with regional demands across the country. One of its main goals is
to provide encouragement and support to educational processes that generate
employment, income and citizen empowerment in the perspective of local and
regional social economic development.
In Brazil, one of the great
advances over these last years, was the creation of the Federal Network of
Professional and Technological Education and the Federal Institutions (IFs) that
spread throughout all national territory and answer to the need of the
definitive institutionalization of the Professional and Technological Education
(EPT) as a public policy. According to Haddad (2008), on this unprecedented
expansion, the proposal of the Federal Institutes of Education, Science and
Technology (IFs) as models of reorganization of the federal institutions of
professional and technological education for a performance integrated and
referenced regionally demonstrates very clearly the desirable links between
systemic education, development and territoriality. According to the design
material and guidelines of the federal institutes, of the Professional and
Technological Education Secretariat (Setec), of the Ministry of Education
(MEC), while public policy, Federal Institutes assume the role of agents
employees in structuring public policies for the region that polarized,
establishing a more direct interaction with the public authorities and local
communities (BRASIL , 2010).
3. METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS
As for the methodology, it is
a descriptive research that, regarding the means, documental and bibliographic
research was used.
According to Vergara (2007),
the descriptive research exposes characteristics of a given population or
phenomenon. It can also establish correlation between variables and define
their nature. There's no commitment to explain the phenomenon it describes,
although form the basis for such explanation. In this sense, it described the
economic sectors in the Federal District and the professional education in
Brazil. Furthermore, as to the means, the bibliographical and documental
research helped of a systematic study based on material published in books and
scientific magazines and data from Brazilian research institutes.
The data analyzed were
collected by means of data from research done by the Instituto Brasileiro de
Geografia Estatística (IBGE), namely: i) Table of Gross Domestic Product of
Large Regions and Units of the Federation - 2002-2012; ii) Table of
Participation of Large Regions and Units of the Federation; iii) Table of
Participation of Economic Activities in the gross added value at basic prices,
by Units of the Federation - 2002-2012; and iv) Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra
de Domicílio (PNAD) from 2001 to 2012. These data allowed the investigation
of the main job-creating economic
segments, both in the Federal District as in Brazil level.
The Pesquisa Nacional por
Amostra de Domicílio (PNAD) is a sample survey that has multiple purposes,
investigates various social economic characteristics of society, such as
population, education, work, income, housing, social security, migration,
fertility, marriage, health, etc., among other themes that are included in the
search according to the needs of information for Brazil. We used these data to
extract an analysis of data on professional education in Brazil.
Finally, regarding the
treatment of the data, the tools used were SPSS and Excel to aid in the
generation of descriptive statistics analysis with the frequencies of the economic
sectors of Brazil and the Federal District and also within the framework of
professional education, technical and technological undergraduate courses,
organizing the information about the reasons of avoidance, duration and mainly,
professional areas of technical courses and degrees of technology in a
comparative way with the most active economic sectors.
4. RESULTS ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1.
Federal Economical Sector in Brazil and Federal
District
The participation of the economic activities in Brazil and
Federal District is shown in Tables 1 and 4, as well as the participation of
the Federal District in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Tables 1 and 4, and
Brazil and Federal District´s GDP from 2002 to 2012 (Tables 2 and 3).
Table 1:
Participation of the economic activities in the gross added value at basic
prices by Units of Federation – 2002-2012
|
Economic Activities |
Participation in the gross added value at basic prices (%) |
||||||||||
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
|
Brazil |
|
||||||||||
|
Total |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Farming |
6.6 |
7.4 |
6.9 |
5.7 |
5.5 |
5.6 |
5.9 |
5.6 |
5.3 |
5.5 |
5.3 |
|
Industry |
27.1 |
27.8 |
30.1 |
29.3 |
28.8 |
27.8 |
27.9 |
26.8 |
28.1 |
27.5 |
26.0 |
|
Mining Industry |
1.6 |
1.7 |
1.9 |
2.5 |
2.9 |
2.3 |
3.2 |
1.8 |
3.0 |
4.1 |
4.3 |
|
Processing Industry |
16.9 |
18.0 |
19.2 |
18.1 |
17.4 |
17.0 |
16.6 |
16.6 |
16.2 |
14.6 |
13.0 |
|
Civil Construction |
5.3 |
4.7 |
5.1 |
4.9 |
4.7 |
4.9 |
4.9 |
5.3 |
5.7 |
5.8 |
5.7 |
|
Production and distribution of electricity and
gas, water, sewage and urban cleaning |
3.3 |
3.4 |
3.9 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.6 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
3.1 |
3.1 |
|
Services |
66.3 |
64.8 |
63.0 |
65.0 |
65.8 |
66.6 |
66.2 |
67.5 |
66.6 |
67.0 |
68.7 |
|
Trade |
10.2 |
10.6 |
11.0 |
11.2 |
11.5 |
12.1 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
12.5 |
12.6 |
12.7 |
|
Transports, storage and courier |
4.8 |
4.7 |
4.7 |
5.0 |
4.8 |
4.8 |
5.0 |
4.8 |
5.0 |
5.1 |
5.4 |
|
Information Services |
3.6 |
3.6 |
3.8 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.8 |
3.6 |
3.2 |
3.0 |
2.9 |
|
Financial intermediation, insurance and
supplementary insurance and related services |
7.5 |
7.1 |
5.8 |
7.1 |
7.2 |
7.7 |
6.8 |
7.2 |
7.5 |
7.4 |
7.2 |
|
Real estate and rentals |
10.2 |
9.6 |
9.1 |
9.0 |
8.7 |
8,5 |
8.1 |
8.4 |
7.8 |
7.9 |
8.2 |
|
Administration, public health and education, and social insurance |
15.5 |
15.1 |
14.7 |
15.0 |
15.3 |
15,5 |
15.8 |
16.3 |
16.2 |
16,3 |
16.6 |
|
Other services |
14.6 |
14.0 |
13.8 |
13.8 |
14.5 |
14,2 |
14.1 |
14.7 |
14.3 |
14.5 |
15.7 |
Source: IBGE (2014)
In Brazil it is observed that
the main economic activities are concentrated in the service sector (68.7%),
with emphasis on trade. This segment has been declining during the period from
2002 to 2004, however, grew in the following years, reaching an increase of
5.7%; then, emerging in second place appears the industry (26.00%), this is a
sector that has been growing in the period from 2002 to 2004, when it started
to face difficulties and has been dropping every year, accumulating
approximately 4% drop from 2004 to 2012; the sectors that appear then are
administration, health, public education and social insurance (16.6%) and other
services (15.7%) , each of which has a slight economic growth, throughout these
ten years.
Table 2: Participation of Units of Federation in
the Gross Domestic Product in Brazil
|
Large Regions and Units of the |
Participation in the Gross Domestic Product (%) |
||||
|
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
|
Federal District |
3.9 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
4.0 |
3.9 |
Source: IBGE (2014), in
partnership with the State Statistical Agencies, State departments of
Government and Superintendence of the Manaus Duty Free Zone-SUFRAMA
Moreover, according to
Table 2, the Federal District presented a rate of 3.9% of real GDP growth in
2012. In addition, Table 3 shows that with value estimated at R$ 117,326
million, it had the reduction of 0.1 percentage point in Brazilian GDP compared
to 2011.
Table 3: Gross Domestic Product in Units of
Federation- 2002-2012
|
Large Regions and
Units of Federation |
Gross Domestic Product (1 000 000 R$) |
||||||
|
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
|
Brazil |
1,477.822 |
1,699.948 |
1,941.498 |
2,147.239 |
2,369.484 |
2,661.345 |
|
|
Federal District |
56,138 |
63,105 |
70,724 |
80,527 |
89,629 |
99,946 |
|
|
Years (continue) |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
||
|
Brazil |
3,032.203 |
3,239.404 |
3,770.085 |
4,143.013 |
4,392.094 |
||
|
Federal District |
117,572 |
131,487 |
149,906 |
164,482 |
171,236 |
||
Source: IBGE (2014), in partnership with the State Statistical Agencies,
State departments of Government and Superintendence of the Manaus Duty Free
Zone-SUFRAMA
In terms of Participation of
the Units of Federation in the Gross Domestic Product between 2002 and 2012, it
was of 4%, however it kept as the 7th major national GDP in 2012. In the period
(2002-2012), it presented an increasing volume, 32,8%.
Furthermore, according to Table 4, the services, which take part with 94%
in the economy of the Federal District in 2012,
having as main economic segment administration, health, public education
and social insurance (55,2%), other services (11,3%) and financial
intermediation, insurance and supplementary insurance and related services
(10%), this is because it is the seat of the federal government, where are
installed the headquarters of the leading government agencies, also, has a
small territorial strip, which makes insignificant other economic segments,
such as agribusiness and industries.
Table 4: Participation of economic activities in
the gross added value at basic prices,
by Units of the Federation - 2012
|
Economic Activities |
Participation in the gross added value at
basic prices (%) |
|
Federal District |
|
|
Total Farming Industry Mining industry Processing industries Civil construction Production and distribution of electricity and
gas, water, sewage and urban cleaning Services Trade Transports, storage and courier Information services Financial intermediation, insurance and
supplementary insurance and related services Real estate and rentals Administration, public health and education and
social insurance Other services |
100.0 0.3 5.7 0.0 1.5 3.4 0.7 94.0 6.7 2.3 2.3 10.0 6.2 55.2 11.3 |
Source: IBGE (2014), in partnership with the State Statistical Agencies, State departments of
Government and Superintendence of the Manaus Duty Free Zone-SUFRAMA
The agricultural activity of the
State accounts for only 0.3% of its value added in 2012 in the Federal District
(DF). Industrial activity, in turn, accounts for 5.7% of the value added of the
DF in 2012, highlighting the civil construction with a volume of 3.4%. The
industrial park of the Federal District is anchored, first and foremost, in
editing and graphics and information technology, from which the public sector
has become a major client, contributing to the performance of the manufacturing
industry, with 1.5% of the total from the DF.
4.2.
Analysis of the professional education in Brazil
On the method of
demographic components demographic variables interact following cohorts of people
over time, exposed to the levels and patterns of fertility, mortality and
migration. The population projection for Brazil and for the Units of the
Federation held in 2013 was used for the new weighting of the sample of 2001 to
2012 PNADs. This data were used to extract an analysis of data on professional
education in Brazil.
Graph 1: Reason for absence in professional course in Brazil
Despite of the unemployment and lack of qualified labor force, problems
faced locally, it is noticed that the major part has not seemed interested,
that can indicate a lack of the disclosure of the possibilities that those
courses offer, as tool for working world, following a great percentage is
absent due to lack of resources, that indicates a lack of governmental investment
in order to encourage the education of a qualified labor force.
Graph 2: Professional area of technical course attended
The graph shows that the more attended technical courses are in health,
industry and computing areas.
Graph 3: Professional area of the most important technological
undergraduate course attended
Trade, tourism and management are the most attended areas by technological
undergraduate students, on the other hand, it was noticed a significant
reduction in the area of health, when compared to the mid-level technical
courses.
Graph 4: Mid-level technical course duration attended previously
The vast majority of people
who have studied technical courses of medium level remained on that course for
six semesters, time taken to acquire the technical and practical knowledge.
Graph 5: Technological undergraduate course duration attended previously
The majority of the
technological undergraduate courses attended by the students of that segment
longs four semesters, because they take part of trade and management area,
where there is a strong demand, according to Table 5.
Table 5: Analysis of
descriptive measures of variables on professional education
|
|
Technical
courses duration in semesters |
Technological
undergraduate duration in semesters |
|
|
N |
Validity |
11418 |
309 |
|
Missing |
388546 |
399655 |
|
|
Mean |
4.72 |
2.64 |
|
|
Median |
5.00 |
2.00 |
|
|
Mode |
6 |
1 |
|
|
Standard Deviation |
1.953 |
1.695 |
|
|
Variance |
3.814 |
2.873 |
|
|
Minimum |
1 |
1 |
|
|
Maximum |
8 |
5 |
|
|
Quartiles |
25 |
3.00 |
1.00 |
|
50 |
5.00 |
2.00 |
|
|
75 |
6.00 |
5.00 |
|
Source: elaboration by author based on data from PNDA 2013
The value of mean is very
close to the median values, with the length of the technical course in
semesters, the mean is slightly lower than the median, showing an asymmetry to
the left while in the variable duration of technology undergraduate semesters,
the average is higher than the median, showing an asymmetry to the right, that
is, the majority of cases is below mean. Soon, the median is an alternative to
represent the central position in asymmetric distributions and both measures
calculated to evaluate the central position under two approaches, as well as to
get a first assessment on the asymmetry of the distribution.
In addition, facing the results of this
article is stressed that services take part with 93.3% of the economy of the
Federal District, in 2008, grew by 3.5% in real terms the manufacturing
industries were highlighted, with growth of 9.7%. Contributing to the good
performance of the manufacturing industry, differences in the focus of
vocational education can be noticed, according to the PNAD (2013), where most
students are taking courses in the area of health, mainly mid-level courses for
basic services, to the upper technological courses, demand decreases
significantly. The need of enhancing those health courses is perceived.
On the other hand, according to the PNAD (2013)
data, there are a significant number of students in courses in the field of
industry, which is one of the fastest growing segments in the Federal District.
According to Dias, Cardoso and Hoffmann’s research (2012), the network of
professional education is one of the drivers for regional development. In this
regard, it is noticed in the results that despite the discrepancy between the
training of skilled labor, some segments have been growing considerably, but
there is still lack of articulation between the productive segment and the
educational segment for training of workforce that meets the real needs of
these segments, whose expertise in network assists professional training.
An expansion in professional training in the Federal District is the
result of the creation of the Federal Institute of Brasília (IFB), a public
institution that offers free Professional Education, in the form of courses and
initial and continuing training programs for workers (FIC); mid-level technical
courses; and technological degree course, at undergraduate and postgraduate
level. The structure of several campi at IFB provides the institution
with secure technology, diversifying their service, in accordance with economic
vocation of the administrative regions of the Federal District.
Professional education that
was offered by private institutions, Government of the Federal District and by
the S system, until the year of 2008, with only a technical school in agriculture
by the federal network, obtained with the creation of the IFB over 9 campi in the Federal District.
Currently, the IFB is composed of a Rectory (based on Pilot Plan) and 10 campi in the Federal District: Brasilia,
Ceilândia, Estrutural, Gama, Planaltina, Riacho Fundo, Samambaia, São
Sebastião, Taguatinga and Taguatinga Centro, working in the various areas of
professional education, with continuing education courses, technical courses,
technological courses, undergraduate, degree courses and postgraduate degrees,
serving a very large universe of students in professional training, within the
Federal District and surroundings, where the vast majority are low-income
people, which has the possibility of professional training free of charge.
5. CONCLUSION
This article sought to introduce concepts of networks with a focus on
professional education as a catalyzer for local development. The studies
carried out on bibliographical research reinforce the proposition that with a
strengthening of relations between professional education and the productive
segment it is possible to obtain a larger regional development. The data
presented in the documents of the IBGE demonstrate economic segments that are
growing and those that are decreasing their participation over the course of a
decade, a flag of the real need for research and training of labor force. We
analyzed the main productive segments of the Federal District and also an
analysis based on national data from PNAD on professional education, which
allowed a better understanding of these variables, in order to identify gaps
that need to be filled.
By demonstrating inter-organizational and territorial development
network, according to Fischer and Melo (2004) with new organizational formats,
there is a new perspective on the generator of territory concept, discussed in
the scope of development through the diverse types of organizations, productive
arrangements (clusters) configuring joint projects and partnerships. Thus,
according to Albuquerque-Llorens (2001), educational and training actors aim to select
professional who have knowledge required by enterprises in order to boast the
process of economic development and structural change, that lead to local
population´s life level increase, that is, this promotes cluster development. Therefore, professional
education plays a great role in professional education, working as a network
among clusters whose synergy between productive and professional education
sectors bring the possibility of innovation in the several productive segments.
The organizations, enterprises and associations chain thematic networks
among themselves, which may present themselves in the form of productive
arrangements (clusters) to virtual spaces; this scenario creates a favorable
environment for cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises.
Professional education appears as a relevant element in the construction
of cooperative networks, by raising the level of knowledge of the people who
form the entities members of the networks, the generation of new knowledge
allows a systemic vision, where factors such as productivity, economy of scale
and the possibility of exchanging experiences, allow the strengthening of the
development of the region.
In the analysis held in the Federal District it is noticeable the
prominent economic segments, when comparing with the national graph, taking
into account the peculiarity of the Federal District, that being the seat of
Government, demands a lot of labor force services segment, as tables 1 and 2,
so the professional education must be attuned to this demand, to provide
professionals according to the vocation of the region.
The analysis performed with professional education diagnosed more
professional preference for courses in the areas of health and trade. The
national survey found that most people who do not attend a professional
training course, doesn't have that interest. Those sectors that are more in
evidence, or that there's a strong demand, are the ones who have more
professionals trained on the area.
The limitation of this research is due to data collection which occurred
exclusively by documental and bibliographic resources. For future research an
investigation using other types of data collection, questionnaires and
interviews with the professional education and productive segment is suggested,
to identify remedy gaps that need to be primary data, as well as studies that
search integration and cooperation between the various types of productive
networks and professional education, aiming the promotion of regional
development.
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