Artificial Intelligence in Vocational Education and Training: Practical Examples from Brazil

The webinar began with a brief review of the study visit by 13 VET experts from seven member institutions of the Alliance, who were guests at the BIBB in Bonn from 14 to 18 September 2026.  Study visit by the Alliance for dual VET | BIBB

AI in vocational education and training: from curriculum development to career guidance

In the webinar’s main technical session, representatives from the Brazilian VET provider SENAI and Seren, a company specialising in digital career guidance, demonstrated how AI is already being used today in various areas of vocational training.

AI-supported curriculum development and learning processes

In her introduction, the moderator Germana Arcoverde (SENAI) presented various approaches to integrating AI into vocational training. For instance, SENAI uses AI applications to systematically take regulatory requirements, international qualification models and labour market data into account when developing and updating curricula. The results are then reviewed and validated by technical committees comprising industry experts.

Other areas of application include supporting teachers with lesson planning, AI-supported simulations and digital learning materials. One example is the ‘Notebook SENAI’, which enables learners to work with the content of their digital textbooks via an AI-based dialogue function.

Nai: An AI assistant for vocational training

Giseli Almeida de Araujo (SENAI) presented ‘Nai’ (Inteligência Artificial da Indústria), an AI application developed in collaboration with Google, which aims to better link SENAI’s information, services and processes. The starting point was the challenge of bringing together information and support services for different target groups, such as learners, teachers and businesses. Nai is designed to facilitate access to institutional knowledge and enable more personalised support.

The digital assistant is already integrated into four of SENAI’s applications. Among other things, it supports teachers with lesson planning, helps businesses with enquiries regarding training requirements and suitable training programmes, and assists learners with career guidance and preparing job applications. In the future, Nai is also set to directly support learning processes.

Seren: AI for informed career choices

Vinícius Martins presented a different approach with Seren, a Brazilian company specialising in digital career guidance. The starting point is the challenge of supporting young people in making informed career choices and reducing the frequent discrepancy between personal interests, educational decisions and actual employment prospects.

To this end, Seren has developed a comprehensive digital offering that combines online mentoring with insights into various fields of profession, gamified career guidance tests and personalised information services. Since 2024, the company has also been using ‘SerenDeep’, a generative AI assistant developed in-house, to support young people with their career guidance.

In future, the service is set to be expanded to include further AI applications, including simulated job interviews with virtual interviewers who provide personalised feedback. There are also plans to strengthen links with the labour market to make it easier for young people to access apprenticeships, work placements and employment opportunities. With ‘Seren Pro’, the company is already trialling a programme specifically for technical professions and vocational training in collaboration with SENAI.

Seren is one of five start-ups selected in 2025 as part of a joint competition organised by SENAI and BIBB, which received funding to trial their applications in SENAI training centres.

Discussion: Transferability and the responsible use of AI

The ensuing discussion focused, amongst other things, on the international transferability and access to the AI applications presented. Giseli Almeida de Araujo explained that Nai had been developed from the outset with a view to potential international use. In future, further languages are to be integrated and the applications adapted to regional specificities. Vinícius Martins reported that Seren is already active in Portugal. A particular challenge lies in attracting young people to voluntary career guidance programmes whilst competing with the appeal of social media.

Both speakers expressed an openness to joint pilot projects with interested institutions. Almeida de Araujo recommended first identifying an institution’s specific challenges and then using AI in a targeted manner as a tool. Martins argued that educational institutions should take a leading role in the development and responsible use of AI, rather than leaving its design solely to large technology companies.

AI as an integral part of the further development of vocational education and training for professions

At the end of the webinar, Germana Arcoverde (SENAI) emphasised the importance of clear governance structures for the implementation of dual vocational education and training and drew a connection to the use of artificial intelligence: the management and modernisation of educational pathways and curricula require well-coordinated processes, into which AI must increasingly be integrated.

In doing so, it is important to examine the impact of AI on institutional processes, take appropriate regulatory frameworks into account and validate applications in collaboration with the business sector – both in terms of operational processes and the pedagogical requirements of the respective industries.

The Alliance will continue its dialogue from 10 to 12 November 2026 with an international conference in Lima, Peru.