Apprentice Statute: number of young apprentices may reach 1 million with new law

Brazil currently has 460,000 young apprentices. Of these, 60.4% work in administrative areas, that is, less specialized functions that will soon be automated. According to a survey carried out by the Labor Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, this phenomenon contributes to low levels of employability: only 44% of young apprentices are working one year after the end of their contract; only 14% remain in the same company and 7% in the same occupation.

Data like these indicate the distortions suffered in learning over the years. To mitigate this dysfunction in the employability of young people, the bill is being processed in the National Congress 6461/19. The proposal, developed by deputy André de Paula (PSD-PE) and 25 other parliamentarians, seeks to create a current legal framework for young apprentice workers.

Based on the proposal, rights, quotas and conditions related to employment contracts will be established. Among the changes, the Jovem Aprendiz project proposes to institute an apprenticeship scholarship so that young people can be hired by micro and small companies, with half of their salary paid by the public entity.

For the labor lawyer Camilo Onoda Caldas, the approval of a well-defined apprenticeship law is necessary.

“It is very important to create an Apprentice Statute, which creates a legal framework, a set of better defined and extensive rules regarding this type of work, which is currently adopted by many companies. Including the fact that the project not only talks about the work of young people and adolescents, but also about the work of people with disabilities”, he points out.

The statute’s innovations are intended to simplify apprenticeship contracts. According to the project’s rapporteur, federal deputy Marco Bertaiolli (PSD-SP), the main benefit of the statute is to adapt the legislation to current times and facilitate the process for more companies to hire young apprentices.

“The legislation cannot be bureaucratic, to the point of removing motivation from companies to hire young apprentices. The Young Apprentice Statute aims to simplify, make the law very objective, so that all large and medium-sized companies have reasons to hire, in addition to being mandatory. We will also create the apprentice scholarship so that micro and small companies have the opportunity to open at least one vacancy for a young apprentice in Brazil”, he explains.

The expectation of the project is that the number of vacancies for these young people will be three times greater. According to Bertaiolli, the goal is to reach 1 million young apprentices in the country.

The project establishing the Apprentice Statute is being conclusively processed in the National Congress and will be analyzed by a special commission.

Young Apprentice Program

The Young Apprentice Program is a federal initiative that aims to encourage companies and public bodies to hire young people from 14 to 24 years of age, as well as people with disabilities to develop professional skills and train students in the training institution and in the company, combining theoretical training and practice.

Currently, the Young Apprentice is contemplated by the Learning Law (Law 10.097/2000) and the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT). Under current rules, companies must have between 5% and 15% of apprentices in relation to the number of employees whose functions require professional training. Apprentices must be between 14 and 24 years old, enrolled in a methodical technical-professional learning and training program, compatible with their physical, moral and psychological development.