Saraiva Signs Pronatec Partnership with Kroton

USA - English

• Brazil - Português

SAO PAULO, Dec. 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Saraiva (Bovespa: SLED3 and SLED4), one of the major publishers in Brazil and one of the largest content retailers in culture and education, with stand-out performance in the production of technical and professional content, hereby announces that during the first week of December, it signed a contract for the provision of content for 25 courses offered by Kroton Educacional S.A. through Brazil's National Program for Access to Technical Education and Employment (Pronatec).

Mauricio Fanganiello, the Vice President responsible for the Publishing Business of the Saraiva Group explains: "Saraiva is pleased to announce its first partnership with Kroton, one of the largest private educational organizations in Brazil, to provide the educational materials for the Pronatec. This partnership reflects the group's strategy of diversifying its publishing business, which includes meeting the needs of all segments of the education sector."

The Publishing business made an important strategic move to aggregate even more value in the educational solutions offered, with the acquisition of the Publishing Company Erica Ltda. Completed in 2Q13, the transaction marked the entry into the market for content aimed at technicians and professionals, strengthening diversification and increasing Saraiva's relevance in the Brazilian Publishing market.

Paulo de Tarso, Kroton's New Business and Graduate Education Officer, explains: "The partnership with Editora Erica reflects the company's goal of offering high quality courses that prepare top professionals for the job market. Other vendors also took part in the negotiation process, but we chose Érica because we believe that they have the educational materials that provided the greatest synergy with our courses and the profile of our students."

Mauricio adds: "Saraiva believes that vocational education can play a central role in Brazil's development. The segment maintains good growth prospects due to the shortage of qualified professionals – highlighting the National Program for Access to Technical Education and Employment (Pronatec), one of the main initiatives of the Federal Government in this segment".

Created in 2011, the Pronatec program includes a variety of initiatives to foster the development of the market: (1) the Bolsa-Formacao program, which grants scholarships that are fully subsidized by the federal government, (2) the FIES student loan program for technical and professional education, and (3) the Brasil Profissionalizado program, which provides government funding to improve technical and professional education. The Pronatec program has benefited a total of 5.5 million enrolled students, according to the Ministry of Education.  According to Kroton CEO Rodrigo Galindo, the potential for technical education can clearly be seen in the fact that technical courses have a penetration rate of 19% in Brazil, versus 27% for OECD countries.

ABOUT SARAIVA

Saraiva is a leading publisher and distributor of content and services related to education, culture and entertainment, and as such plays an important role in many aspects of its customers' lives. The Company operates its retail business through a multichannel concept, offering a wide range of products and services. Saraiva operates its online business through Saraiva.com, which is fully integrated with its chain of storefronts, to ensure a nationwide footprint. The Company publishes and distributes primarily educational content in print and digital formats and through its Learning Systems, covering from pre-school to university, and also publishes technical and professional content. 

Contact:
Saraiva S.A.
Luciana Doria
Phone: 55-11-3613-3081

SOURCE Saraiva S.A.