Professional Education, Historical Trajectory and the Role of the Renê Barsan Foundation (FETI) in the Labor Insertion of Young People in Uberaba/MG.

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical trajectory and socio-educational impact of the "Dr. Renê Barsan" Intensive Technical Teaching Foundation (FETI) in the municipality of Uberaba, MG, contextualizing it within Brazilian and local historical periods. Using a qualitative approach and the bibliographic method, the study is grounded in authors such as Frigotto (2005), Kuenzer (2012), and Freire (1987) to discuss Professional and Technological Education (EPT) as an emancipatory educational principle. The narrative spans from the institution's genesis in 1975, as a response to the city's industrialization, to its consolidation as a fundamental formative ecosystem for the youth. The data analysis demonstrates not only the quantitative robustness of FETI – which served 11,846 young people between 2017 and 2024, with an employability rate between 34% and 42% – but also its legal solidity, anchored in advanced municipal legislation. The robustness of the Young Apprentice Program in Uberaba is evidenced by its capillarity, achieved through the expansion into neighborhood poles, which significantly increased access for the peripheral youth. The last selective process for the Introductory Professional Course in 2025, with a ratio of 12.7 applicants per vacancy, underscores the institution's vitality and credibility within the community. It is concluded that FETI transcends its original function, constituting a resilient state policy, whose success stems from a symbiosis between a robust legal framework, a critical pedagogical project, and deep synergy with territorial demands.

Keywords: Professional and Technological Education. Fundação Renê Barsan. Young Apprentice. Uberaba. Integral Formation. Public Policy.