Paraná, December 21, 2021 – The only vocational school dedicated to mechanics and forestry machine operations in Latin America, a pioneering project launched by Klabin in partnership with the state government of Paraná and the municipal government of Ortigueira, held its first graduation ceremony on December 18.  A total of 34 graduates of subsequent courses (for those who have completed high school) in Forest Machinery Operations and Heavy Machinery Maintenance received their diplomas.  As a clear sign of the program’s benefits in relation to the job market, all graduates have already been admitted to the Internship Program at Klabin.

 
“We are very pleased to witness the graduation of the first batch of students from the State Forestry and Agriculture Vocational Training Center of Ortigueira, a very special project for Klabin because the company believes that investing in education is essential to promote sustainable regional development in the communities where we operate,” says Luciana Nadai, People and Management manager at Klabin.

 
Students joined the vocational school in February 2020, but had to take a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to school at a safer time, following strict safety protocols against the virus. 

 
The State Forestry and Agriculture Vocational Training Center of Ortigueira was inaugurated in 2020 with the goal of becoming a benchmark in training forestry operators and mechanics. The school also offers the Agribusiness program.


“It is very important to seek theoretical knowledge combined with practice, and this is what the vocational school offers.  Apart from being a dream come true, the graduation ceremony held on December 18 benefited several students as many concluded the course with already a job in hand.  We thank Klabin for the partnership, the State Governor of Paraná Ratinho Massa Junior and the State Education Secretary Renato Feder,” says Sueli Aparecida Martins, head of the Education Center of Telêmaco Borba.
 

Before building the school, besides investing R$30 million, Klabin and representatives from the Paraná State Education Department, the Telêmaco Borba Regional Education Center and the Municipal Government of Ortigueira visited similar schools in Finland and Sweden, located in the Scandinavian region, which is a global benchmark in the pulp and paper industry. 

 
To extend the benefits to all the towns in the region, the boarding school is available.  “The vocational school is yet another practical action by Klabin to enable people in our communities to get training to work for the company,” says Uilson Paiva, Social Responsibility and Community Relations manager at Klabin.

 
About the State Forestry and Agriculture Vocational Training Center of Ortigueira

 
The State Forestry and Agriculture Vocational Training Center of Ortigueira has a comprehensive  infrastructure, consisting of classrooms, fully-equipped laboratories, restrooms, industrial kitchen, cafeteria, multi-sport court and leisure area. The school has capacity for up to 800 students. The school also has an exclusive boarding school for students enrolled in full-time programs.

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