Rural Professional Learning Program

About the Program

The Rural Professional Learning Program is a pioneer in offering professional learning without leaving the field or school, training teenagers in the rural management and entrepreneurship course. During the course’s average period of one year (800 hours), young people are hired as apprentices by companies in the tobacco sector associated with and supporting the Instituto Crescer Legal.

In accordance with the Apprenticeship Law, they receive a salary proportional to 20 hours per week – the course load, which takes place during school hours – and at the end they are duly certified. However, instead of working in companies, apprentices aged 14 to 17 carry out their theoretical activities in the main schools and their practical activities both in the course environment and in their communities, with more motivation and conditions for the production of knowledge.

To participate, the apprentice must attend regular school. With this, teenagers occupy their day on the course and at school, away from age-inappropriate tasks.

Each year, the Program involves the participation of more than 140 young people in seven municipalities. The activity program includes the study and analysis of rural properties, diagnosis of the municipality and the region with studies of local productive arrangements and mapping of local partnerships and strategic alliances. Teenagers also carry out group work involving families and the community and feasibility studies for the development of management products in rural areas.

Entrepreneurship Course in Multipurpose Agriculture – Rural Management