This article analyzes the impacts of the changes motivated by the opening process of the Brazilian economy in the composition of manpower and in the demand of workers' training with technical formation at the high school level in three agroindustrial companies of Minas Gerais State. It was used the method of historic-organizational case study to collect data and conduct a comparative analysis accomplishing the period from 1990 to 1998. It was observed that the researched companies passed for processes of technological and administrative restructuring, investing in installations, equipment, release of new products, as well as sticking to new methods and administrative practices, of production and marketing. As a result of that restructuring, they also started to invest in training and they tend to demand labor with minimal schooling at high school level or with technical course of the same level. However, the interviewees evaluate that the offered technical courses were not up-date and did not assist appropriately to marketing demands. They suggest that were included in the curricula disciplines which approach human relationships and that the schools come to have larger exchange with the companies through technical visits and apprenticeships, which would allow better relationship between theory and practice.