IDBR – Brazilian Identities Institute

INSTITUTO IDENTIDADES DO BRASIL – IDBR

A scholarship program to promote the employment and inclusion of Afro-Brazilians from peripheral communities

According to Ethos Institute, 54% of the Brazilian population is black or brown, but they occupy only 5% of executive jobs. Almost 70% of black professionals testified that they endured racism at work or had lost opportunities because of their skin color. The Institute also points out that 25% of them do not speak English and estimates that it would take 150 years to close the racial gap in Brazilian organizations.

IDBR’s mission is to accelerate the process of racial equality; IDBR develops action plans that bring together people from different sectors of society, raises awareness, engages them and contributes to reducing racial inequality in the labor market. The organizational pillars are creating jobs and providing access to education in the black community. With resources received from BrazilFoundation, IDBR will offer free English classes for black students to complement their partnership with educational institutions providing vocational training. They look to bridge an educational gap – language fluency – that reduces the chance of access to professional opportunities.

With support from BrazilFoundation, IDBR will:

• Provide English classes for black students;
• Hold employability workshops to map skills;
• Provide resume guidance;
• Facilitate meetings with business leaders.

Impact

Educational and vocational training for black students from peripheral communities
Reducing racial inequality
Increasing the number of black professionals in the corporate workforce

“[The objective of the project is to help] marginalized black youth to be better prepared and compete equally in the labor market.”