O Senai e as suas concepções: do artífice aprendiz à indústria 4.0

Abstract

This study examines the trajectory of the National Service for Industrial Training in São Paulo (SENAI-SP) in articulation with the transformations of the São Paulo industrial sector, from early industrialization to the context of Industry 4.0. It is grounded in a historical-analytical review of vocational education in Brazil and related legislation, through which the creation, expansion, and institutional specialization of SENAI-SP are situated within broader strategies of economic development and labor organization . In this sense, the study analyzes the role of FIESP and the curricular adjustments associated with different productive paradigms, including Fordism/Taylorism, the quality era, and digitalization. At the empirical level, the analysis focuses on the profile of industrial apprenticeship students, based on institutional data sources. The findings indicate a predominance of students from working-class backgrounds, whose trajectories are marked by early entry into the labor market, with vocational education functioning as a pathway for educational continuity. Employability rates among graduates are significant, particularly in consolidated industrial sectors, while a gradual expansion in educational mobility is also observed. From a territorial perspective, the study identifies broad institutional capillarity, although unevenly distributed, since more industrialized regions concentrate both training opportunities and better labor market outcomes. In curricular terms, there is a progressive incorporation of digital-technical and socioemotional competencies aligned with contemporary industrial demands. However, tensions persist between short-term business demands and broader educational objectives. Consequently, the funding model presents structural limitations, despite ensuring institutional stability. Within this framework, SENAI-SP performs a strategic role in industrial competitiveness, productive inclusion, and technological transition.