OREANDA-NEWS. April 20, 2011. Now, the application for the Apprenticeship Program may be submitted any time during the year.

If you are between 14 and 24 years of age and you are in or have finished high school, you can enroll yourself in Usiminas Mecanica’s professional training program. From now on, the application may be submitted any time during the year in the following website: www.usiminasmecanica.com.br.

According to Hildebrando Martins da Costa, Human Resources manager, the program’s core target is to train the participants in areas that demand qualified labor. “Today, there is a shortage of certain professionals in the marketplace and in a few years’ time such shortage will be even larger. For this reason we are investing in capacity building and training of these youths, so that they would be qualified to work in any company”.

Employment opportunity

In 2010 alone, Usiminas Mecanica hired approximately 540 apprentices. One of them was Diogo Pagani, 20, who attended the Lathe Operator course and now works as a broaching machine operator in the Machining department. After one and half year of theoretical classes and hands-on training, he was hired in November last year. “The course is quite useful, and working at Usiminas Mecanica is a great opportunity. I will not stop studying and I intend to go to college”, he said.

Luiz Henrique Campos is another case of apprentice that was hired by Usiminas Mecanica. After participating in the Mechanical Maintenance course, he went to a school of Mechanical Engineering. At the same time, he was participating in the company’s internship program and since approximately one year ago he was hired as junior engineer. “Being an apprentice gave me an excellent background, even for the Engineering school. The apprenticeship course broadens one’s horizons and represents an outstanding career foundation”, he added.

An apprenticeship course may last from one to two years, depending on the selected area. The applicant may choose among ten different courses, all of them including both theoretical classes and hands-on activities: Mechanical Maintenance, Electric Maintenance, Welding, Administrative Processes, Tracing, Structure Erection, Machining, Lathe Operation, Boilermaking, and Electronic System and Equipment Maintenance.