Análise da contribuição profissional de uma empresa júnior para seus participantes: levantamento com uma EJ de engenharia mecânica da UFC de Fortaleza

Abstract

In a context where young people face several barriers to enter the job market, especially in engineering, where the industry demands new learning, the Junior Enterprise Movement arises with the purpose of training college students for this phase. With this in mind, it is of utmost importance to understand what contribution the junior company makes to the participants' careers, analyzing their soft skills and general and specific competencies in mechanical engineering. To achieve this goal, a descriptive survey of qualitative and quantitative aspects was conducted with members who were part of Diferencial Jr, a junior enterprise of the mechanical engineering course of the Federal University of Ceará at the Fortaleza campus, from 2015 to 2023. All the answers were collected and analyzed, and it was possible to notice that 90% of the participants consider the organization relevant or very relevant to their careers. Furthermore, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills were the most developed socioemotional qualities. Furthermore, almost 40% of the respondents cited that the association is very important in the ethical application of engineering normative acts. Also, Thermal Systems, Production, and Mechanical Systems were the three most developed mechanical engineering curricular units among all the votes. Thus, it can be seen that this movement has a relevant impact on the student's development in all the issues addressed. The relationship between the number of projects carried out and the development of the associates was evident, in which a proportionality between the factors was perceptible. The relationship between the number of projects carried out and the evolution of the associates was evident, in which a proportionality between the factors was perceptible. It was also possible to notice a similar relationship with the number of managements, but with a possible plateau at 4 managements. Some data that demonstrate this correlation include the perception of relevance of the junior company for the career and the development of general engineering competences.