RBR alumnus Wilton Cardoso is a strategic leader in professional education and has built an inspiring career by transforming knowledge into opportunity. Serving on the Central-West Regional Council of SEST SENAT, an organization that offers training and specialization, he believes in professional qualifications and social well-being as tools for changing the lives of transportation workers.
His story begins in Antônio Pereira, a district of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, where, at age 13, he worked in the gold mines. The routine was harsh, involving manual labor in precarious conditions, with no protection or infrastructure. It was in this reality that he made a decision that would change his destiny, seeking education as the key to his transformation.
The first step was to enroll in the Industrial Informatics technical program at the former ETFOP, now the Federal Institute of Minas Gerais (IFMG). Naturally curious, he wanted to understand how things worked and how to solve problems. From that moment on, education established itself as a true path to transformation.
After technical school, Wilton landed an internship at Vale, where he worked in industrial automation, gained access to advanced technologies, and learned from renowned professionals. In 2000, he was recognized by Microsoft as one of the Top IT professionals in Minas Gerais, attended the company's academy in São Paulo, and joined international technical communities, such as TechNet. This experience also introduced him to the world of Linux, broadening his strategic vision.
Later, upon assuming his first leadership position, he created an internal training program that helped colleagues in the operation become IT professionals. "My commitment to education isn't theoretical, but rather comes from someone who has experienced hardship and found knowledge to be a real path to transformation," he says.
Training as a strategy to overcome challenges in transportation
Wilton's entry into the transportation sector happened almost by chance, but his stay was purposeful. He started as an IT manager in a business group with urban, highway, and freight operations. The challenge was that tight margins prevented hiring external consultants. That's when he saw an opportunity to invest in what he knew worked: training people. He developed internal talent, many without technical training or confidence, and saw these individuals grow, gain autonomy, and assume responsibilities within the sector.
"I bet on those who were already in the operation—conductor workers, tire repairmen, people without a high school education. I said, 'Come in with what you know, and I'll help you, but you need to study.' Twenty years later, I see that this made a difference. People who had no chance of finishing school or going on to higher education have changed their lives. It's possible. Knowledge truly transforms," says Wilton. For him, transportation is not only an essential sector for the country, but also a field of social transformation.
SEST SENAT: health, qualification and social impact throughout Brazil
Created in 1993, SEST SENAT was born with the mission of caring for those who move Brazil forward. It offers free healthcare services such as dentistry, physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition, and professional training courses. With 172 units nationwide, over 56 million enrollments, and 540 million hours of training, the institution works to promote health and well-being, professional training, social development, combating vulnerability, educational innovation, and strategic partnerships with the public and private sectors.
"SEST SENAT is not just a structure, but an ecosystem of care, training, and social transformation," says Wilton. However, he points out that bringing education to the transportation sector is no simple task. It's a cultural and structural challenge.
"The transportation sector is one of the biggest drivers of the country's economy, but it's also one of the sectors that faces the most barriers when it comes to qualifications and well-being," he points out. The average level of education in operational roles is still low, which, combined with high turnover, long hours, and daily pressures, makes it more difficult to engage in continuing education or health care.
"That's why it's essential to invest in innovative strategies, such as short courses, simulators, hybrid learning, mobile health vans, and competency certification," explains Wilton. The goal is to generate a quick and concrete impact, demonstrating to workers that investing in knowledge yields real results.
Innovation and public policies for successful professional education
For Wilton, vocational education needs to be treated as a state policy, with programs focused on real employability, structured public-private partnerships, the valorization of technical education as a central axis of development, competency-based certification, and incentives for institutions that promote productive inclusion. "The most effective public policies are those that are based on evidence, engage with the realities of the territories, and focus on concrete results," he concludes.
Under Wilton's leadership, the CRCO (Central-West Regional Council) has been developing work to improve team training. In this context, initiatives such as the Leaders' Journey – Innovative Leadership, which brings together managers to develop leadership and innovation skills, and the Pedagogical Journey – Excellence in Teaching, an immersion program for instructors focused on active methodologies and the use of artificial intelligence to improve teaching practices, have been created.
In partnership with the Government of Goiás, the organization also offers free D/E driver's licenses (CNH D/E), benefiting 240 drivers, in addition to the ASAS para Todos Program, which provides technical aircraft maintenance courses for women and people in vulnerable situations. Other initiatives include the Impulsiona Project, carried out with the TJDFT (Tourist Court of Justice of the Federal District), which provides social assistance and training for young people and women at risk, and the Protection Project, developed in partnership with Childhood Brasil, to combat child sexual exploitation. These initiatives reinforce SEST SENAT's social role and the vision that education, health, and citizenship go hand in hand.
