Pillars of the Industry - Otto Alcantara Santos of Petrobras.
In August 1955, Petrobras established the Center for Education and Research of Oil (CENAP) to train Petrobras specialists in oil exploration and production. In 1957, an agreement was signed between Petrobras and the Federal University of Bahia whereby drilling and oil production courses would be taught at CENAP facilities in Salvador, Brazil. As a result of this agreement, the following year the Course of Petroleum Engineering (CEP) was created to prepare newly hired petroleum engineers for their jobs in the company. This course gave birth to Petrobras’ educational system for petroleum engineers, whose objective is to update and sharpen engineers’ knowledge and skills throughout their professional lives within the company.
Petrobras recruits petroleum engineers through a nationwide exam— open to those in any engineering discipline—held simultaneously in several Brazilian cities. The selected candidates undergo a medical exam, a psychological evaluation, and a social-functional survey. If they pass, candidates are hired by Petrobras and enrolled in the Petrobras University CEP in Salvador. Since this recruiting and education program began in 1958, approximately 2,760 individuals have become Petrobras petroleum engineers—with nearly half (1,300) undergoing training since 2002.
