Simulators create real scenarios and qualify port workers in Santos

[[legacy_image_357201]] Professional qualification is more than a market requirement. It's a necessity. For 25 years, a space in Santos has been dedicated to developing skills for those that work in the port segment. During this time, the Technical and Professional Training Institute (Incatep) has already issued more than 124,000 certificates. According to the owner, João Gilberto Campos, constant updating is the order of the day - for them and for the workers.

According to Campos, Incatep, which gained traction due to simulators that bring real port operation actions into the virtual environment, managed to convert this practice into actions related to the environment, adhering to ESG (environmental, social and governance) practices, for example.

"Every liter of diesel emits 2.58 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air. Every hour of simulator use saves, on average, 50 liters of diesel. For every 12 hours of equipment use, one ton of CO2 is avoided. It's our decarbonization process", he says.

A visit to Incatep's headquarters in Ponta da Praia provides a realistic understanding of what a port worker does. There are 32 simulators in a 500-square-meter space dedicated to learning the operation of wheel loaders, hydraulic excavators, ship cranes, RTGs (rubber tyred gantry, also called electric transtainers), small and large forklifts, among others. Loads such as cellulose, one of the most moved by the Port of Santos, have a simulator.

"A person won't leave here ready to work, but has a starting point. In the company (where they're employed), they should spend a certain period training with real equipment. But it's a beginning", adds the owner of Incatep.

However, Campos says: it's not enough to rely solely on a training course if you don't have a good educational background. "Increasingly, companies want people to be skilled, to be trained. Even for operational areas, they recommend higher education", he summarizes.

According to him, the programs used by the simulators are developed by the center itself. "If I want to install 100 simulators, I can, because the license is mine. I don't depend on a supplier. The shiploader only exists here".

Courses are up to 100 hours long. But each session has until two hours, "to avoid boredom", as he describes. One of the simulators uses virtual reality glasses, giving a new dimension to the experience.

Tracks

Campos says that a differentiating factor of the teaching method lies in the so-called training tracks. In these, each professional chooses the training courses desired, such as container operator, container controller, cellulose, bulk port worker, offshore worker.

"We have some remarkable situations, such as contributing to people's improvement. There are people working in several countries. A person has no profession, and we offer that", he concludes.