In 2023, 5,264 delivery men and women registered on the iFood platform passed the certification test Encceja. The National Examination for the Certification of Skills for Young People and Adults is the test that gives a certificate of completion of secondary education.
Last year, 14 thousand signed up to take the Encceja. It was a strong participation: together, they represented 1,32% of the number of registrants, according to the Inep (National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira).
Furthermore, it was a record: the number of delivery people was almost triple that recorded in 2022, in the first edition of the My High School Diploma. This program, carried out in partnership with Termine Seu Estudos, provides scholarships for the preparatory course for Encceja.
At the end of December, the results of the test were released. And whoever passed by came here to tell the iFood News What is the dream you want to achieve now that you have finished high school? Discover these stories!
From the motorcycle to the logistics course after Encceja
Maicon Moreira Gonçalves, 33 years old, has been working as a delivery boy on the iFood platform for five years and completed My High School Diploma in 2023. “I attended classes on the app with faith in God that I would pass. And that’s what happened”, he says. “When I received the Encceja result, I didn’t know what to do, I was so excited. It was unforgettable."
He stopped studying at the age of 14 to help his mother support the house. “I always wanted to finish my studies. This diploma that I will get soon will open more doors for me, more opportunities for employment and to improve my life.”
Maicon always dreamed of working in the health sector, but working on a motorcycle opened up another field of interest for him. “I really like logistics, this organization of deliveries. So I’m kind of torn.”
He has time to think: after buying his own house in São Paulo, Maicon is organizing himself financially to start the new course. And he really encourages his colleagues. “Believe in yourself, go for your dreams and they will come true”, he concludes. “I am proof of that.”
The diploma as an inspiration for children
Matheus Ferreira da Silva, 28, left school at 15 to earn a living. “I grew up hearing that my parents didn't finish their studies, so this ends up becoming common”, explains the delivery man, who lives in São Paulo.
But, as he matured and had his children, he began to wonder if the two boys would also think it was normal not to complete high school. “I kept that in mind, the example I would be setting for them”, says Matheus.
He tried to return to his studies, but was unable to fit them in with work and caring for his children. Until he found out about My High School Diploma. “At the beginning of 2023, I decided that my goal for the year would be to finish my studies. Due to the accessibility of the app, it was easy to finish. It helps organize us to study.”
Approved by Encceja, Matheus wants to learn more about the possibilities in technology. “This year I will do the Tech Power to know if this is what I want. Next year I want to go to college”, he reveals. “It’s not just for me. It's for my children. I want to be an example, and for them to advance beyond what my parents and I were.”
Next step: do Administration and have your own business
Januário Aparecido Galvão, from São Paulo, stopped studying when he was young, to work and help his family. So, when he saw the opportunity on the iFood app to finish high school, he grabbed it.
Today he is a bar chef on one shift and a delivery man at iFood on another. “I was always trying to study, but I couldn’t finish,” he says. “Now it wasn’t easy, but I did it. In that rush, right? I woke up very early to study, the first thing I did was watch the videos. I took advantage of everything the platform offered me, I needed this guidance.”
Upon receiving the Encceja result, he threw a party, complete with a small firecracker, as we see in the video above. “Still now I can’t believe I passed. It was all very fast. I thought I would never be able to finish my studies”, he reveals.
In 2024, Januário wants to study English and stay warm so that he can go to business school in 2025. “I work in bar, I lead teams and I want to have this training to have my own business”, he explains. “My brothers already work in the restaurant industry, so we already have a team formed. We just need someone to manage it.”
“I want to do nutrition to work with my wife”
André Fernandes, 49, from Minas Gerais, lives in Volta Redonda (RJ), where he has worked with deliveries for over 20 years. It was around this time that he stopped studying — but not wanting to return to classes one day.
“We live on dreams. If there are people graduating at the age of 60, why can’t I?”, he says. “I had been thinking about it, but I didn’t see the opportunity. What motivated me to take the test was the ease that iFood gave me to prepare.”
In 2023, he signed up for My High School Diploma and accelerated his studies on the weekends. “A lot of motorcycle couriers think they can’t do it because they don’t have time. It’s complicated, but you can get there and take another step in your life.”
After passing Encceja, André wants to take the Enem and go to college — in physiotherapy or nutrition. “I want to study nutrition to work with my wife. Now I’m encouraging her to finish her studies too,” he says.
