Over the past three years, GIZ “Professionals for the Future: Skills for the Green Economy” has been a part of laying the groundwork for a new generation of professionals who are building Brazil’s sustainable future. 

Starting in 2022, GOPA Worldwide Consultants, with support from GOPA Infra (currently GOPA Tech), provided support to GIZ in implementing the Bioeconomy and Circular Economy component of the project. 

Here are project results after finishing implementation in March 2025:

• 42 new technical courses implemented across all nine states of the Amazônia Legal
• 9,614 graduates—58% women, most from indigenous, rural, and traditional communities
• Strong local partnerships and cross-sectoral networks supporting Brazil’s National Bioeconomy Strategy
• Practical examples like technical training in “fish farming in dug-out ponds” in indigenous Maturuca show how local knowledge meets innovation to generate income and protect biodiversity.
• New curricula for sustainable practices in textiles, plastics, construction, and agro-industry
• 380+ teachers trained on circular design, lifecycle thinking, and green innovation
• 7 Circular economy courses now available online via SENAI Play, ensuring access beyond urban centers
• 3 civil construction training programs adapted to integrate accessibility for people with disabilities and sustainable building practices
• Hands-on partnerships with industry leaders are shaping greener production models

Together with the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC), Senai São Paulo and many committed actors, project activities have shown that vocational education is not only about skills—it’s about creating just, inclusive, and sustainable pathways for all.

The project “Professionals for the Future: Skills for the Green Economy” was a partnership between the Brazilian Ministry of Education (MEC), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, GIZ Brasil within the scope of the Brazil-Germany Cooperation for Sustainable Development. This project was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of Germany.