• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
The operator of the public areas of the Port of Montevideo, Montecon, inaugurated its Port Training Center and presented a crane simulator considered unique in Uruguay.
With an investment of US$ 800,000, the new equipment was acquired to strengthen the training of its workers, raise operational safety standards, and become, in the future, a training benchmark for the entire port community.
During the event, the company's general manager, Martín González, highlighted that the project focuses on people and the transmission of knowledge accumulated over decades of work in the port of the Uruguayan capital.
"The port is an activity learned by studying, but also by working alongside others, observing, and sharing experiences," described the executive. The presentation was attended by the Minister of Labor and Social Security, Juan Castillo, public and private sector representatives, clients, and workers.
The new center incorporates a crane simulator developed by the Canadian company CM Labs that reproduces with high precision the behavior of mobile cranes and real operating conditions. The equipment allows recreating different scenarios, including rain, fog, wind, low visibility, and other complex situations, so that operators can train without exposing people, cargo, or equipment to risks.
The technology includes ten 55-inch LCD screens, a three-axis motion platform, an operator's seat, and controls equivalent to those used in real cranes, which makes it possible for the skills acquired during training to be directly transferred to daily operations.
Raise levels of professionalism, efficiency, and safety
In a press conference, Martín González explained that the main objective of the center is to continue training Montecon's personnel and preserve the experience acquired by generations of port workers. He added that the intention is to progressively share this training capacity with workers from other companies and institutions linked to the activity.
The executive highlighted that the crane simulator is the first of its kind installed in Uruguay and assured that there are no similar equipment in the region either.
Montecon expects to train more than 300 workers per year. Currently, the company has about 600 direct and indirect employees, 95% of whom carry out their tasks in the port of Montevideo, where it operates eight mobile cranes.
González also stated that the use of the crane simulator will allow accelerating and making the training process for new operators safer. He explained that a mobile crane operator currently needs a training period of at least ten months before performing autonomously, so this tool will contribute to optimizing this stage without compromising safety.
The inauguration of the Port Training Center is part of Montecon's talent development strategy, which it has been promoting for several years, with technical, operational, and leadership training programs, as well as induction sessions for new workers. The company aims for the new space to contribute to raising the levels of professionalism, efficiency, and safety of all Uruguayan port activity.
