Neoenergia generates employment and income in its areas of activity, contributing to the development of these regions. In 2021, the company hired about 1,600 professionals trained by the School of Electricians, an initiative promoted by the group's distributors to offer free training to residents of its concession areas – Neoenergia Coelba (BA), Neoenergia Pernambuco (PE), Neoenergia Cosern (RN), Neoenergia Elektro (SP and MS) and Neoenergia Brasília (DF). In the face of the crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic, Neoenergia increased by 60% the job opportunities aimed at students of the project.
Since 2020, over 1,700 people have been trained in 70 classes, at the five distributors, who can work as electricians in different positions. “We want to offer opportunities to this audience that seeks professional training, to help them participate in selection processes and quickly enter the job market. The commitment to expanding opportunities enables the generation of income and, thus, we benefit the population in our concession areas", says Régia Barbosa, Neoenergia's Organizational Development superintendent.
The School of Electricians is operated in partnership with the Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (National Service for Industrial Learning (Senai)) in the states of the Northeast and the Federal District. In São Paulo, training is provided by the Fundação de Apoio à Tecnologia (Technology Support Foundation (FAT)). Since the beginning of the pandemic, theoretical classes have migrated to the virtual environment and the practice has continued to be on-site, in pole fields, following the health and safety protocols for covid-19 prevention, such as the use of masks, reinforcement of hygiene and the distance between students.
The project started at Neoenergia Elektro (SP) in 2013 and, in 2018, was expanded to distributors in the Northeast, as part of the Internalization Program. In 2021, with the acquisition of Neoenergia Brasília, in March, the Federal District started to be included in the project. 5.3 thousand professionals from several areas will be hired by 2022, including the students trained by the School of Electricians.
The company's forecast for the beginning of 2022 is to open 19 new classes in the School of Electricians, in all concession areas. Enrollments to join the training are made according to seats available and the selection processes for new students are announced by the distributors.
Gender Equality
As part of a strategy to promote diversity and inclusion, the company pioneered the opening of classes in the School of Electricians exclusively for women at Neoenergia Coelba and Neoenergia Pernambuco. Since 2020, 180 female students have been trained in eight classes at the two distributors. The initiative is recognized as a global example of one of the Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs) by WeEmpower, a UN Women program with the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the European Union, aimed at encouraging good practices of the companies.
“We intend to increasingly expand female participation in the profession and, with the School of Electricians, we are breaking paradigms and demystifying the idea that the role of electrician is exclusively for man. Equal opportunities and diversity add value", defends Régia Barbosa.
The School of Electricians dedicated exclusively to women is one of the actions by which Neoenergia demonstrates its commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially number 5, on gender equality. The company has an in-house diversity program focused on promoting a work environment of inclusion, respect for diversity, empowerment and combating prejudice. Human Resources processes were revised, and the company started to promote more inclusive selection processes and train leaders to manage diversity.