J&F Institute Provides Life Changing Opportunities for Victor Lima

As a young kid, Victor Lima always saw others playing on iPads or buying the latest video games. Victor didn’t have the opportunity to grow up with the latest technology or games because his family didn’t have the funds to buy anything that wasn’t needed. Growing up in this environment, Victor wanted to find a way to change his life to provide a better future not only for himself but also for his family.

In 2012, when Victor was 11 years old, he applied to attend the J&F Institute in Brazil. The institute is a full-service school and education center that JBS fully funds. In Brazil, schooling is a challenge for some families, and the J&F Institute provides a solution for free education, relieving the stress of many families. 

Victor first heard of the institute from a family friend but had reservations about attending the school. Victor didn’t want to change schools because he felt he would lose all his friends and wouldn’t fit in at a new school. Those reservations held Victor back from applying for a few weeks but, on the last day he could, Victor submitted his application to the institute. Victor was accepted into and graduated from the institute in the Germinare Business program. Today, Victor is very thankful that he filled out the application for the J&F Institute because the school and opportunities he has received from JBS are second to none. 

Through the J&F Institute, students are given internship opportunities to experience various roles within the JBS business. Victor was given an internship with Swift (retail stores similar to Wild Fork Foods), which then turned into a full-time sales position in Brazil. After learning from these experiences, Victor moved into an IT Developer role and feels that this role is a perfect fit for him. Because of his IT Developer job, Victor recently had the opportunity to travel to the United States where he is working on merging key internal IT systems.

When asked about Victor and the J&F Institute, Juriana Speriando, Global Head of Human Resources stated, “It’s impressive to see the talent that the J&F Institute has developed and the impact these individuals are making in the JBS business. We as a company can benefit from the contributions they bring to the business while continuing to enable their growth and development. Victor was a critical part of the assessment and decision to implement JTP into JBS globally. This will be the first global system in our company allowing the company to continue developing our strong culture in all locations.”

When Victor first arrived in the United States, he was shocked by two things. The first is how nice all the people are and the second is how large everything is. Victor was taken aback by the large portion sizes, the large farms and the size of the vehicles driving down the roads. When he saw the cars driving down the road, his first thought was that none of them would even fit down the streets in Brazil.

Today, Victor is enrolled in Information System studies at XP Education in Brazil. This is a completely free, online college program that 400 out of 50,000 student applicants are chosen to attend. Victor enjoys his studies and feels that the classes he is taking will benefit him long term. After Victor graduates from college, his goal is to eventually become Head of IT for JBS. 

Victor chooses to stay with JBS because of the life-changing opportunities he has been given. “JBS and the J&F Institute changed my life. When I started working at Swift, it was a gift. The impact JBS has had on my life is immeasurable,” said Victor. Eventually, Victor would like to move to the United States or the United Kingdom to further hi JBS career and grow as a professional.

The J&F Institute has provided life-changing opportunities for over 1,600 students to date. The institute is continuing to grow and evolve every year. In the fall of 2024, the very first college courses will be offered.

JBS is always working to provide a better life for its employees, their families and neighbors. The J&F Institute is a key example of the efforts in Brazil to do just that.