The aim of this article is to present part of the results of a broader study, in which qualification as a social construction was studied, giving special attention to two fields of analysis: school and factory. The investigation was concentrated on a public school, two Senai technical school units, and a metal-mechanic industry located in the interior of São Paulo State. Only some of the data obtained in the factory are discussed in this article, giving emphasis on how workers see the school and the company's contributions to their professional qualification process. Results point to a consensus among interviewees about the value of education for both their professional work and their social and family life. Procedures adopted by the company aiming at promoting both professional qualification and workers' adherence to corporate objectives are also very well accepted. Nonetheless, analysis of the data allowed for the unveiling of conflicts, contradictions, and idealizations that consensual discourse cannot completely hide.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS; INDUSTRIAL OCCUPATIONS; EMPLOYMENT QUALIFICATIONS