Education on the construction site or in the mall: companies from Paraná offer classes during working hours for workers to complete their studies.

Employees at MRV construction are participating in a program that provides education on construction sites, such as the 'School Grade 10' program, which allows them to study during working hours. Admilson Figueiredo de Andrade stopped his studies to work but later enrolled in the MRV program. Other employees, like Kamila de las Mercedes Sanchez llerena, utilize these opportunities to learn Portuguese and revalidate diplomas. This initiative aims to impact workers by providing learning opportunities, with internal data showing that 83% of interviewed employees wished to stay longer at the company and 89% perceived an increase in productivity. Teachers involved integrate lessons into the work environment on site. For students like Admilson, the program includes continuous evaluation and personalized support to manage the challenges of balancing education with work responsibilities.

The initiative demonstrates a potential for transformative agency when education is integrated directly into the workplace, suggesting that barriers to learning are often structural rather than purely motivational. The success in increasing perceived productivity and desire to remain with the company suggests that the value proposition extends beyond mere credentialing; it involves personal transformation and a sense of fulfillment, which is crucial for adults balancing life demands. However, the challenges highlighted reveal tensions between access and sustainability. For those like Admilson, the primary hurdle is time and existing adult responsibilities, pointing to a systemic failure in structuring learning environments around adult realities. The decline in general EJA enrollment illustrates that simply providing access is insufficient; the quality and structure must adapt to the needs of working adults, particularly regarding work-life integration. Furthermore, the focus on integrating Professional and Technological Education suggests a deeper implication: education should not be siloed but serve as a pathway to economic mobility. The tension between individual aspiration (Admilson's success) and systemic constraints (declining EJA demand) suggests that policy must evolve beyond simple enrollment metrics to address income access, relevance of content in adult life, and the flexibility required for continuous learning across diverse socioeconomic groups.