Through a partnership between BTP and Unisanta, the initiative has graduated its first class of students from undergraduate and graduate programs.

In an innovative effort to promote professional development in the port sector, Brasil Terminal Portuário (BTP) - one of the largest container terminals in Latin America and a leader in port operations at the Port of Santos - contributed to 92 port professionals earn their long-awaited undergraduate and graduate degrees. This event also marks the graduation of the first class from the BTP Corporate University, considered the first corporate university focused on the port sector in Brazil.

The initiative, the result of a partnership established three years ago between BTP and Santa Cecília University (UNISANTA), provided professionals in the port sector - who also work at BTP - with access to undergraduate and graduate programs certified by the Ministry of Education (MEC) in various fields of study.

BTP’s CEO, Cláudio Oliveira, emphasizes that promoting education is one of the company’s greatest legacies in terms of positive social impact. “A competitive port is built on efficiency, infrastructure, and qualified professionals. As we prepare our terminal for the coming decades of operation at the Port of Santos, we are also training our employees in the new technologies, skills, and competencies required by the port of the future and strengthening the port-city relationship,” he says.

This educational mission is echoed by BTP’s Administrative Director, Joel Contente, who highlights the dedication of employees to returning to their studies. Of the 92 employees who graduated, 53 work in areas related to container terminal operations. “The pursuit of knowledge and professional development has always been a priority for these professionals; all they needed was an opportunity. We are very proud to provide this opportunity, with the goal of helping to raise the educational level of employees working at BTP and, consequently, at the Port of Santos,” he notes.

Connection Between the Market and Academia – UNISANTA Director Rafael Pedrosa highlights the project’s novelty and market impact. “The ability to generate innovative projects brings with it, in equal measure, challenges and disruptive results. It is, without a doubt, a paradigm shift, evidenced by the novelty of the project that unites UNISANTA and BTP - two institutions uniquely committed to the development of the port and the region. Creating a project of this magnitude - one with such an impact on people’s lives - and generating the technical skills the market currently demands, especially at this time of so many transformations, requires a keen vision of the future and the boldness to propose initiatives capable of transforming and preparing people for what’s to come. Innovation, cutting-edge infrastructure, and belief in people are characteristics highlighted by UNISANTA and BTP throughout their histories and especially in the creation of Latin America’s first corporate university in the port sector."

Dreams Come True – Daniela Caetano dos Santos has been an equipment operator at BTP for ten years, and after 15 years away from school, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Systems Analysis and Development through the BTP Corporate University. “The scholarship wasn’t just a benefit - it was a door that opened to new dreams, paths, and a future that, for many of us, seemed a little out of reach. When we graduated, we gained much more than a degree; we gained knowledge, experience, and the certainty that we are capable of going further,” she says.

For Pedro Henrique Santana de Lima, the graduate program in Reliability Engineering he is pursuing through the BTP Corporate University will complement his first degree, which he completed in 2015. “BTP’s entire education program is incredible - from a comprehensive platform offering multidisciplinary courses, which all employees have access to, to undergraduate and graduate programs for employees. I believe this will reach people who previously never imagined they could pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree,” explains the Maintenance Engineer, who has worked at BTP for nine years.

The formal graduation ceremony for the first class of the BTP Corporate University was held on March 30 in the Unisanta auditorium and was attended by representatives from both institutions, officials from the maritime and port sectors, and family members and friends of the graduates.