Vale Institute of Technology has just qualified its 1st Class of Specialists in Open-Pit Mines. The ceremony took place last Friday, December 1st, 2017, in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, with the presence of the board of the Vale Institute of Technology (ITV), representatives of Vale and the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the Federal University of Ouro Preto, students and their families. Altogether, 19 employees became specialists, prepared to present the best solutions in the mining of mineral resources operated by Vale, besides transferring technological knowledge to sustainable mining with high productivity and competitive costs.
The specialization course lasted two years with 420 in-class hours, focused on the practical application in Vale’s mines, bringing important technical contributions to the company’s operations. This is confirmed by Roberto Policarpo Gonçalves Júnior, Scheduling and Medium-Term Mine Planning Manager of Vale, referring to the course completion of his employees José Mauro and Domingos Sávio Franco:
“It was with great joy and motivation that I participated in the presentation of course completion papers at ITV. This production was essential for the resumption of production at the Mariana Complex. We, who work in operations, often think that doing academic work does not add much, but we see that it is worth investing in development, whether sponsored by the company or on our behalf”.
One of the graduates Dany Luiz Vieira Policarpo, who works at the Iron Ore Integrated Operations Center (COI), recommends the course and evaluates that the acquired learning is already being applied in his daily activities. “I am very accomplished with the completion of the course, which has brought us cutting edge knowledge and an in-depth view of the subject”.
Jane Ayres, who works in the area of Mine Planning in Itabira, the only female representative in the class (2nd place), says that the conclusion of the course was very important for Vale since it was totally geared towards application in the company’s mines and areas. “The beginning of our specialization coincided with the fall in commodity prices, challenging us to produce practical applications that would bring representative gains to the company”.
Sandoval Carneiro, Dean of Graduate Studies at the Vale Institute of Technology, congratulated the graduates and stressed the importance of this partnership, which allowed employees to develop and at the same time strengthen Vale. “I congratulate everyone involved in this virtuous cycle of learning”.
New classes
In addition to the course in Ouro Preto, a second class is underway in Carajás, and is expected to graduate in 2018. According to the coordinator, Professor Vidal Torres, new classes may be opened next year.