The new Brazilian trade policy, whether associated with negotiated or autonomous liberalization, imposes the need to evaluate and manage costs associated with the new competitive situation, especially considering the displacement of labor in traditionally protected sectors. In this sense, facilitating labor mobility across firms and sectors is essential not only to mitigate trade adjustment costs, but also to maximize expected gains in labor productivity. Based on international experience with trade adjustment programs and active labor market policies, this study aims to analyze the most appropriate policy options and formats to promote employability in the context of the new Brazilian trade policy. Based on the recent trajectory of vocational and technical training programs in Brazil, it is argued that trade liberalization should be accompanied by the prioritization of demand-driven universal labor market policies, with proven positive outcomes – in particular, through the expansion of Pronatec Productive Sector, making it the main national program for access to technical and vocational education. By mitigating the labor costs of adjusting to trade openness, this exercise may ultimately help to mitigate sectorial resistance to the liberalization process.