Public schools will have an unprecedented course in data science

The year 2022 began and with it the implementation of the new high school began throughout Brazil. The law was enacted in 2017, but the new educational form begins to be implemented in the state and private schools in the country. This new form establishes, for example, greater integration and flexibility in the curriculum and the offer of training paths. In this context, the Vivo Telefónica . Foundation, one of those responsible for the social field in the concept ESG in VivoLaunches the first technical and vocational training track in data science, in partnership with the Center for Innovation for Brazilian Education (CIEB), with the aim of providing support to public schools and networks in the implementation of technical vocational education at the intermediate level, and providing targeted training in this field to students, in synergy with the new secondary school that comes into operation.

The new formation is expected to be 100% operational by 2024. Starting this month, schools will have to offer at least 1,000 teaching hours per year, an additional 200 hours per year compared to the old curriculum. The new curricula anticipate the presentation of training paths organized by areas of knowledge, divided into: mathematics and its technologies, languages ​​and its technologies, natural sciences and technologies, and applied humanities and social sciences. There is also technical and vocational training, and this is the scenario that fits the itinerary developed by the Telefônica Vivo Foundation. Thus, students will be able to choose a professional career during the three years of high school, choosing the course.

The Data Science course provides young people with the opportunity to better plan their careers in areas where there is evidence and that is experiencing a rise in the labor market. This initiative is carried out in partnership with state departments of education and, in the pilot phase, will serve 19 schools in three states: Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Santa Catarina. A data scientist is the technology professional who works in companies that manage, collect, organize and analyze data, which can be obtained through databases, internal systems, business intelligence tools, etc. The main role is to collect this data and make it available for analysis that helps the growth and development of the business.

Technical training in data science requires the completion of three axes: data analysis, data management and big data, which can be done in up to four years – the three secondary and one additional, if the student is interested in expanding and also introducing education systems. However, the course can also be offered in an Initial and Continuing Education (FIC) format, where you take one core at a time and receive an Intermediate Certificate. Within each FIC, there is also the possibility to create only exclusive curriculum modules, in a format called “electives”. In this case, they do not choose a data science course, but can relate to specific topics and get closer to the topic.

The initiative also provides for the training of network technicians and teachers in all components of the curriculum that will be offered to students, in order to ensure the necessary qualification in data science and to develop skills and abilities, such as data reading, analysis and discussion, essential for future careers.

There is support from Fundação Telefônica Vivo for pilot project cases, but support materials for implementation and all details of the curriculum are available to any country also interested in providing training. To learn more about technical training content in Data Science, simply access Enterprise website and go to the project page