Education and Training in Brazil

Education and Training in Brazil

Overview

The education sector in Brazil is ranked as the 10th largest sector in the economy, and generates about US$75 billion per year. Brazil has 51 million students in the basic education system (which includes pre-school, elementary and high school), and around 6 million students are enrolled in university courses. Approximately 75% of graduate students go to private institutions, generating US$12.5 billion per year. In 2015, 10 million students will be in universities, many of whom will be supported by Federal Government loans (with FIES loans, students finance up to 100% of their education, while with PROUNI loans, public school students finance up to 50%).

The education sector is one of President Rousseff’s highest priorities. Brazil, a vast country with continental dimensions, faces many challenges and needs to deliver a high standard of education for its population so that the country can continue on its growth trajectory. For that reason, the government of Brazil is investing in a wide range of educational programs. The government's Scientific Mobility Program (formerly called “Science without Borders”), will  provide 101,000 scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students from Brazil for one year of study at colleges and universities in the United States and other foreign countries. The program’s specific focus is on promoting scientific research, increasing international cooperation in science and technology and initiating and engaging students in a global dialogue through international education. The education sector has grown exponentially in recent years in Brazil, and industry specialists project that it will continue to grow in the coming years driven by the stable economy and the growing middle class. In the past 5 years, 26.1 million Brazilians have risen from poverty and this newly emerging class is eager for training, higher education, and vocational courses.

The Ministry of Education’s budget is 5.5% of Brazil’s GDP, up to US$19 billion for 2013. The Ministry seeks to invest heavily in classroom infrastructure, learning technologies, textbooks, and other programs. Beyond government purchases, the education sector in Brazil (including school supplies, materials and other goods and services related to education) is a US$4 billion industry, wherein many opportunities are available for U.S. companies. Of the total value of the education industry in Brazil, school materials make up 44% of this total market value, while university books comprise 18%, basic education books comprise 20%, and alternative educational systems comprise 9%. Franchises for language schools comprise an additional 9%. Studying abroad has become more attractive to Brazilian students, due to the number of students in universities and the favorable economy, as well as the Scientific Mobility Program  described above. Brazil ranks 14th in the world as a country of origin for sending students to U.S. universities. According to a report by the Institute of International Education (IIE), 9,029 Brazilian students studied in the U.S. in 2012, a 6% increase from 2011. The consensus is that these numbers will continue to increase over the next few years, due to the Scientific Mobility Program created in 2010 by President Rouseff. By the end of 2012, 22,600 scholarships had been awarded, and the U.S. is the leading country for receiving Brazilian students. 22% of the Scientific Mobility students (almost 5,000 students) were placed in 238 U.S. universities. Most of these students (58%) are in undergraduate courses. The Brazilian government has partnered with IIE to administer the program for U.S. educational institutions. Accredited American colleges and universities interested in hosting students through the Brazil Scientific Mobility program should register with IIE at:

http://www.iie.org/Programs/Brazil-Scientific-Mobility .

Sub-Sector Best Prospects

Approximately 80% of Brazilian students studying abroad come from Brazil’s southern and central eastern states. São Paulo has the largest applicant pool, and attracts the most talented students to its own university campuses. The capital city of Brasilia has the highest GDP per capita in the country, at approximately $25,000 USD, over twice that of São Paulo, its closest competitor state. The state of Rio de Janeiro, home of the largest company in Latin America, Petrobras, is the country’s energy hub, attracting many engineering and science majors. The main challenge for many Brazilian students applying for study abroad programs is their lack of English language skills. Institutions that can address this issue by providing conditional acceptance tied to English language training may have a competitive advantage in the Brazilian market. For this reason in 2012, the Ministry of Education launched the English without Borders program, an initiative to support university students by improving English language teaching in schools and offering a variety of learning methodologies for English language training. Approximately 2 million user accounts will be provided to an online English teaching course; over 250,000 TOEFL exams will be offered to assess students’ language ability; and classroom courses will be provided by public universities to students that fit the profile for the Brazil Scientific Mobility program. The Brazil Scientific Mobility Undergraduate Program is focused on the STEM fields (Science,  Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Engineering and computer science are by far the most popular majors; however, a number of students are enrolled in social science, business, and the arts (focused on products and processes for technological development and innovation). Below are the top 10 fields of study among Scientific Mobility students:

TOP TEN FIELDS OF STUDY

· Mechanical Engineering

· Electrical Engineering

· Computer Sciences

· Industrial Engineering

· Civil Engineering

· Computer Engineering

· Biology

· Medicine

· Environmental Science and Engineering

Opportunities

With sustained economic growth and increased availability of credit, Brazilian families have been able to plan and make longer term financial commitments. The country is experiencing growth in the purchase of homes, cars, and other durable goods. As the lower income portion of the market becomes more sophisticated and families become more aware of the importance of quality education, opportunities for educational services will continue to grow. U.S. schools interested in recruiting in Brazil should provide creative financing options, since cost (along with proficiency in English language skills) will continue to be the biggest challenge for Brazilian students studying abroad. Since 2007, the Education Ministry has been investing in PROINFO, a program that promotes information technology as an important teaching tool. The program includes installations of

technology labs in the public schools, laptops for teachers and students, digital boards, projectors and tablets. The budget will also be used to invest in classroom infrastructure and training for teachers. In 2013, the government will continue to invest in the technology program with additional purchases of tablets for teachers, computers for technology laboratories at schools and universities, smart and digital boards, projectors, and other learning technologies. Brazil’s book purchasing program is also receiving increased attention. Currently, school books are purchased every three years, although the procurement process starts three years before the actual purchase. The Ministry of Education opened the process for book purchases for 2016 and proposals will be received until May 2013 (the budget allocated for 2016 school book purchases is US$800 million). The book purchasing program is divided into three categories, books used in libraries, textbooks for students, and books for teachers to use as reference materials. For the next decade, the fastest growing segment of the educational market in Brazil will be short term vocational courses due to government investments in technical schools and courses for high schools students and adults. Over the past five years, demand for professional/vocational courses grew 50%. In 2011, the Government of Brazil launched PRONATEC (National Program for Technical Courses) and designated US$3.5 billion for the program. Since its inception, PRONATEC has funded technical and vocational courses and 2.5 million students, and expects to fund an additional 2.3 million students for 2013. It is projected that in 2014, the program will fund an additional 8 million students’ courses. Companies and educational institutions interested in participating in these programs should consider partnering with local companies or universities. The National Confederation of Industry, thru its Technical School SESI and SENAI, is also helping the government on offering the courses. Brazil recognizes the need to improve English language skills across the country. However, the majority of the population, including those employed in the tourism sector, lack basic English language skills. New government programs, both at the federal and local levels, are addressing this deficiency. For example, CAPES recently launched a program providing scholarships for intensive English language training in the U.K. to Brazilians that are certified in teaching English. The State of Bahia is sponsoring free English classes for taxi drivers. Private English language schools throughout the larger cities are abundant. The Ministry of Education is in the early stages of creating a system to recognize foreign university degrees. Once the system is established, foreign universities will have to register to be included in the Ministry’s list, which will create a fast-track system for students to have their foreign diplomas recognized.

Education Fairs and Trade Shows

Education fairs are one of the most efficient means to recruit Brazilian students. Brazil has quite a few education fairs throughout the year. EducationUSA continues to offer its annual fairs in Brazil each year. This year’s fairs will take place in late August to early September 2013. Universities interested in participating and exhibiting at the fairs should visit the Education USA office in Brazil

Web Resources

· Institute of International Education - Open Doors: http://www.iie.org

· EducationUSA Brazil: http://educationusa.org.br

· Brazilian Ministry of Education: http://www.mec.gov.br

· Proinfo: http://portal.mec.gov.br/index.php?Itemid=462

· FNDE: http://www.fnde.gov.br/

· English without Borders: http://isf.mec.gov.br/

· For additional market research, please visit: http://export.gov/mrktresearch/index.asp

http://export.gov/industry/education/index.asp

For more information about export opportunities in this sector, contact U.S. Commercial Service Industry Specialist Ligia.Pimentel@trade.gov