Montevideo, 26 June 2025 – As part of the ongoing webinar series organised by the Alliance for Dual Training in Latin America and the Caribbean, which operates with the technical secretariat of the ILO/Cinterfor (International Labour Organization / Inter-American Centre for Knowledge Development in Vocational Training), a new virtual meeting was held focusing on the role of technology and active methodologies in dual training.

The opening remarks were delivered by Anna Beatriz Waehneldt, Director of Vocational Training at the National Commercial Training Service (Senac) of Brazil, the institution currently holding the pro tempore presidency of the Alliance. In her introduction, she emphasised the importance of these spaces in rethinking how to train young people more meaningfully in a context of rapid technological and social transformation.

Key presentations

Rodrigo Filgueira, specialist at ILO/Cinterfor, was the first speaker. He focused on the need to develop transversal skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. He underlined that these competencies are not only essential for future employability, but are already in high demand by productive sectors today.

Filgueira warned that vocational training systems in the region remain focused on tasks that are easily automatable, which poses a risk in the face of current technological changes. In this context, he called for deep changes in curriculum design, teaching practice, and workplace training processes. He presented a methodological proposal structured in three stages: starting from a technical challenge, working collaboratively, and concluding with a reflection and metacognition phase to consolidate integrated learning.

Next, Daniela Papelbaum, Manager of Educational Technologies and Design at Senac Brazil, presented Senac's pedagogical model, which is based on developing comprehensive competencies through active learning methodologies. She stressed that this approach aims to train reflective professionals, committed to their environment and prepared to face the contemporary challenges of work and citizenship.

Papelbaum also introduced the CUBUS platform, jointly developed by Senac and ILO/Cinterfor. This platform serves as a repository of innovative pedagogical tools and activities, designed to support teachers in the region in applying more active, collaborative, and student-centred approaches.

Generative AI and vocational training: opportunities and risks

The event concluded with a presentation by Dr Oliver Nahm, Scientific Officer at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung – BIBB), Germany. He addressed the impact of generative artificial intelligence on vocational education and training, highlighting both its opportunities and its risks.

With a human-centred perspective, Nahm emphasised the potential of these technologies to personalise learning, support lesson planning, and introduce new forms of assessment. However, he also warned of key challenges, such as disinformation, loss of critical thinking, and the risk of emotional disconnection in learning processes. “Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool, but only if used wisely and with pedagogical intent,” he stated.