In 2021, at our plant in Sorocaba – an industrial town near São Paulo – just 15 percent of 2,500 employees were women. For Nathalia Godinho, Talent Development Specialist in Sorocaba, that was something that needed to change. And change quickly. 

Her idea? To create a bespoke training program with the aim of attracting more women to agriculture and construction.

The result was Emprega+ Women – an initiative that builds upon a pre-existing federal training program, Emprega+. It focuses on low-income women, offering them an opportunity for stable financial independence. 

As CNH Industrial, we are working on solutions to the gender imbalance. And at the same time, we’re solving a skilled labor shortage at our plant. Women are welcomed into gainful employment. And we add to our talented workforce.

A Considered Curriculum

Emprega+ Women offers courses that teach the skills that are in demand in the Sorocaba area. Women can train as logistics operators, mechanics, production line operators or quality inspectors. Whatever they choose, their employability goes up. 

The women involved in this program generally lead busy lives, so the course had to be designed to suit their schedules. 

Study and training take place in the evenings. This makes it easier for women who are stay-at-home mothers or have day jobs.  

Theoretical study is important. But real practical experience is equally valuable. So, the course includes visits to our Sorocaba plant. There, students can see the jobs for which they are being trained first-hand.

CNH Industrial is also on hand to offer any additional support. We provide meals, transportation and, of course, the right uniforms and workwear. What’s more, each participant is supplied with the essential protective gear for this on-site training.

Everyone’s Workplace

“We want to debunk the idea that the construction and industrial sector is a place for men only. This program is designed to create job opportunities for women.” says Cláudio Costa, HR Manager in Sorocaba and Piracicaba.

Erika Michalick, CNH Industrial's Sustainability Manager for Latin America, agrees. 

"We are co-responsible for the development of the communities where we operate, and through education we achieve several important social results. By providing training opportunities for women, for example, we empower them and set them on a path to financial independence and income generation. And this is also positive for the market, because at the end of the course they will be able to work in the manufacturing sector." 

An Idea Becomes Reality

As for Nathalia, she is thrilled. “It’s the best project I’ve ever worked on!”

She knows that for CNH Industrial actions speak louder than words.  When we talk about diversity and inclusion it is not just a box ticking exercise. Creating an attractive work culture for the future with more female representation is key.

And watching others empower themselves? Well, that is inspiring. 

 In total, 78 women have already graduated from the course and 18 have been hired by CNH Industrial. Here is what a couple of CNH Industrial’s newest employees had to say:


Patricia Almeida, Welder
"Today, thanks to CNH Industrial, I can say I am a welder. The Emprega+ Women changed my life, opened my eyes and the lesson that I learnt was that there is nothing more authentic than generating your own light and nothing nobler than igniting that light in others. I know this is just the beginning, but we all advance together, because together we are stronger." 

Priscilla Leoncio, Assembler
"I had the honor and good fortune to participate in the program and it changed the course of my professional life. Of course, the challenge of returning to study to qualify requires effort, especially in a project designed for women, because we know that we have more than one journey, with children, the home and other things .... but I believe that every effort has its reward, and I am not wrong, I can say that anything is possible if we persist and believe, and today, I am employed in the best company in Brazil and I can proudly say that I am CNH Industrial!"