On 9/30, 10/1 and 10/2, the Instituto TIM was one of the attractions of the Afro Presença virtual conference – an initiative of the National Project for Inclusion of University Young Black People in the Labor Market of the Ministry of Labor. The meeting, supported by TIM, brought together the public sector, companies and national and international organizations in debates and workshops with entrepreneurship tips and recruitment and selection consulting focused on young Black people. In each of the three days of the event, the Instituto TIM presented the panel “Our commitment to society” in the Vitrine lecture room, and the Academic Working Capital (AWC) project was the main highlight. Instituto TIM’s representative, Maria da Glória Ganem Rubião, spoke about the organization, its mission and principles, the map of operation and the network of partnerships – through its actions, the Instituto TIM has already involved over 700,000 people throughout the country. Aligned with the theme of Afro Presença – job opportunities for university young Black students – USP professor Marcos Barretto, academic coordinator of AWC, and Bruna Ferreira, executive coordinator, spoke about the program, recalling that one of the criteria for choosing the groups selected each year is the diversity of the teams in relation to gender, race, participation of LGBTI+ and people with disabilities. In addition, Luana Dourado, a Software Engineering student at the Federal University of São Carlos and participant in the AWC 2020 with the River Meter project (a measure system of river pollution), spoke about her experience in the program. She highlighted the importance of coexistence and exchange with other groups and coaches. From the beginning, Luana understood that her solution could become a business, but she had no idea where to start, and this has been the biggest contribution of AWC. The participants of the panel were invited to access the AWC notice and website, learn more about the program and make their pre-registration for the next cycle. According to the Global Entrepeneurship Monitor survey, 57% of young people aged 18 to 34 have the will to become an entrepreneur. Furthermore, according to The Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America (LAVCA), investment in startups in Brazil has grown 8 times in the last five years, and 20% only in the first four months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The AWC offers an alternative education to young people with potential and willingness to enter this market.
