Lessons in life and work
Technicians and supervisors working on the São Paulo Metro’s Line 2 project get an opportunity to learn, teach and grow “Old pros” refresh their skills
written by ◦ Eliana Simonetti photos by ◦ Luciana De Francesco

Adão Francisco Dave, 50, is from Pinhão, Paraná, in the southeastern part of Brazil. He has spent 28 years of his life working at Odebrecht. He started out as a construction assistant, went on to earthmoving and grading, and later became a surveyor. Now he is the General Supervisor responsible for surveying on the São Paulo Metro’s Line 2 project. Since he joined the company, he has studied and learned a great deal from specific courses, but the greatest lessons have come from interacting with leaders and co-workers on the job. When he started his career, he used spreadsheets to record the measurements he took using rudimentary equipment. Today, he has a computerized machine to do all that. It detects natural and artificial features of the area being surveyed and transmits the data directly to a computer and a program that generates the necessary charts and graphs for the project’s engineers. Adão is a seasoned pro in his line of work, but he has gone back to the classroom to acquire even more knowledge. “I’m learning about what the other people working on the project are doing. I’ve always been more involved in the production side. Now I know where the information I’m getting comes from and why controlling costs is important, and I understand what the other people working at the jobsite are doing.”

Adão is taking part in the Program for Developing Technicians and Supervisors, which is being carried out at the Construtora Norberto Odebrecht jobsite for the São Paulo Metro’s Line 2 expansion project. Three times a week, during their two-hour lunch breaks, Adão and 39 other technicians and supervisors attend classes on a wide range of subjects. Their teachers are engineers and accountants, as well as fellow technicians and supervisors. All the participants – teachers and students – are members of the CNO team that is building the project.

This course is part of the Routes of Knowledge program, whose main objective is to energize the application of the Odebrecht Entrepreneurial Technology (TEO) and education through work by utilizing education for work. This is done through activities like the Program for Developing Technicians and Supervisors, which are planned and implemented on the basis of the mobilization, commitment and involvement of leaders and team members.

“We are giving priority to investing in the grooming and development of our company members, and this program will meet the demand in regard to technicians and supervisors,” says Benedicto Júnior, Construtora Norberto Odebrecht’s Managing Director for Southern Brazil. The 40 students enrolled in the course are divided into two groups of twenty. They take theoretical classes and participate in work groups. While sharing their experiences with their classmates, they get to know co-workers with whom they had barely had a nodding acquaintance, either because they were deeply involved in their own activities or working on different sides of the construction site. This has been a highly gratifying experience for Maintenance Supervisor Manfredo Mathias de Faria Filho, 44, who joined Odebrecht just five months ago. “We have to be creative and exchange ideas if we want to do a good job. That makes all the difference in the world.” A mechanic with 28 years’ experience, Manfredo has taken several professional education courses, but this is the first time he has had an opportunity to learn about such a wide range of subjects.

Raimundo Cruz was born in Portugal 60 years ago, and has spent half his life in Brazil. Everyone calls him “Uncle” Raimundo, and his cell phone never stops ringing. He gets all kinds of requests in his line of work. Raimundo joined CNO in 1988 and is now the Maintenance Supervisor for Electrical and Hydraulic Systems on Line 2. “I knew the people on the team and I knew my job. Now, thanks to this program, I’m seeing the whole picture and learning something about all areas of the project.”

The program is being carried out under the institutional guidance of Vera Gaspar, the CNO officer responsible for People Development. “We need people who are not just good at doing specific tasks but knowledgeable people who are in sync with their leaders, know how to plan their work and are capable of professional and personal growth that will enable them to take on challenges now and in the future.” The program has already been conducted in Angola, Portugal and Peru. Soon, it will be introduced in other settings in Brazil and worldwide.

“People are more motivated, they feel more appreciated by the company and are better able to plan their work, because they understand that what they are doing is key to ensuring the productivity and profitability of the project as a whole,” says Fábio Gandolfo, the Contract Director for Line 2.

As their teacher, Operations Manager Celso Rodrigues knows the program’s students well. He explains the more complex operations involved in building an engineering and construction project to them in terms that they can understand. He says that the program has been adapted to the students’ interests. Many of them wanted to learn more about workplace safety; others were interested in the final report and balance sheet produced at the end of a project. As a result, these subjects have been included in the course. “People who once went unnoticed are asking surprisingly insightful questions and displaying a keen curiosity. Above all, the classes are an opportunity to identify talent.”

According to Ivan Correa, the officer responsible for Administration and Finance and the Operations Coordinator for the Line 2 project, “It is gratifying to see how intensely our team members are getting involved and committed to the program, acting as teachers and learners at the same time.”

Ciro Barbosa, the CNO officer responsible for Administration, Planning and Finance for Southern Brazil, observes: “The Routes of Knowledge program presupposes the continuous grooming and development of the company’s members, transforming a contract team into a permanent source and sharer of knowledge and ensuring that people are prepared to deal with the challenges they will meet in the future.”