Santos Brasil expands investments in training

05/10/2011

Santos Brasil's container handling productivity records in recent months could not have been achieved without  strong efforts to attract, select, hire, train and retain skilled professionals. Between January and July 2011, the Company offered 124,000 training hours, equivalent to 35 hours per employee, 51% more than last year. Period investments in training came to R$2.3 million, 77% more than in the entire year of 2010, allocated to language courses, training and education in logistics and port operations and leadership development, as well as technical and legal training.

The high number of promotions and relocations is an indication of  the importance of this initiative and underlines how individuals are considered a high value asset by the Company. In a seven-month period, 870 employees were promoted, equivalent to 25% of Santos Brasil's entire workforce, comprising 3,500 workers distributed through Tecon Santos, the vehicle terminal, Tecon Imbituba, Tecon Vila do Conde and Santos Brasil Logística.

According to Alcino Therezo Junior, Head of Human Resources,  "One of the main means of retaining talent is to provide employees with professional growth and development opportunities. Investing in individual training is essential in any company intending to prosper and perpetuate its business by offering exemplary service quality."

In addition to the programs created for company employees, Santos Brasil also invests in education for students and members of the communities where it operates. These programs include Technical Intern in Operations; Undergraduate Port Planning Operations Intern ; Menor Aprendiz (Minor Apprentice); and Truck Driver Training.

In 2011, the Company also launched the Professional Education Program for  university and technical and technological course students. The aim is to form 20 undergraduate interns, 20 operational planning specialists and 20 technical-level interns for the mechanical and electrical maintenance areas by the end of 2011.

The Company is also building  a bank of professionals through training programs for truck drivers and operators of rubber-tired gantries (RTGs), empty container stackers and portainers. Existing for approximately six months, the bank of professionals already has 247 people trained in these activities.