Rede Cidadã: rede sociotécnica em ação em prol do Programa Jovem Aprendiz

Abstract

This cooperation project for innovation between UERJ and the social organization Citizen Network, through the Programa de Mestrado Acadêmico para Inovação (MAI), of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), intends to identify the effects and alternatives used in application of the Apprenticeship Law or Young Apprentice Program (PJA) throughout the covid-19 pandemic that prevailed as a global emergency from 2020 to 2023). The insertion into the research field occurred by attending apprentices' classes, holding focus groups with social educators from the institution and, in addition, consulting the institution's pedagogical material. Based on the methodology of Actor-network theory, the aim is to tense the vertices of the compiled material, confronting its controversies based on what the pandemic triggered or exposed — considering, in addition to its own severity, that the period covered was one of severe turbulence politics in Brazil and offensives to dismantle social achievements, which also impacted the Young Apprentice Program (based on unilateral legal interventions by the executive branch). The findings demonstrate society's defense of public policy after the attempts to dismantle it, as well as problems of adherence, range and discrepancies in expectations in the agreement between the social entities involved in it. In this scenario, in which training entities, such as Citizen Network, demonstrate a strategic role, the challenges posed by the increase in labor losses, remote interactions and the use of digital technologies constitute a factor of attention. As an action strategy, the mentioned institution invests in expanding awareness and developing interpersonal skills to achieve autonomy and citizenship, seeking, at a macro level, to instigate inter-organizational and interdisciplinary articulation to propose renovations and transfer technologies in the Brazilian assistance field. Raising the potencies, conflicts and contradictions contained in the meanings of the institution, the aim is to encourage a fruitful debate, which overcomes polarizations and instigates participation in the formulation and defense of social policies; Furthermore, an innovative social technology for circular evaluation of the application of the Young Apprentice Program in Citizen Network was devised in order to improve its practices, strengthen links between the parties and give rise to social transformations.