Social entrepreneurship: an experience report from the ETC UFMA training program

Abstract

This article presents an experience report on the entrepreneurial training program of the Communication, Technology and Education Research Group of the Federal University of Maranhão - ETC UFMA. This is an exploratory study, with a quantitative and qualitative approach. The instruments used to collect information were observation and the application of profile and opinion forms (Lösch; Rambo; Ferreira, 2023; Mussi; Flores/ Almeida, 2021). The differential of this program is that it focuses on the public involved in social entrepreneurship (Parente et al., 2011) and/or out of necessity (Vale; Corrêa; Reis, 2014; GEM, 2023), so the courses addressed aspects such as value construction, social guidelines and accessibility. As a reflection, it was noticed that the public interested in qualifications in this format has a majority profile of: black women, mothers, beneficiaries of programs such as Bolsa Família and who are responsible for the family's main income. This profile highlights issues such as the fact that these women accumulate functions and even have to reconcile their businesses with motherhood and domestic chores. For this reason, it is necessary to build public policies that not only train these entrepreneurs, but also provide structure and devices that make it possible for activities outside of work not to be barriers to their professional practice.