The Flemish training centre Comokra has been officially recognised as an ECOL Training Institute. This means that the centre is now authorised to provide training for the European Crane Operators Licence (ECOL), the internationally recognised professional qualification for mobile crane operators.
Comokra is an established name in crane operator training, with over twenty years experience. The vocational training centre was established through a partnership between the VDAB (Flemish Public Employment and Vocational Training Service), mtech+ Flanders and Brussels (the career fund for the technology sector in Flanders), and the crane company Sarens. This organisation offers various training programs for both job seekers and employees in the sector. Attendees can undergo practical training on mobile cranes, telehandlers, and other lifting and hoisting equipment.
ECOL was developed by ESTA to establish a unified European standard for training, examinations and certification of mobile crane operators. It enables operators to demonstrate their professional competence and promotes the international employability of qualified operators.
Through Comokra, job seekers can retrain as crane operators and now also undertake a course leading to the internationally recognised ECOL licence. This increases their chances of finding work in the lifting and transport sector, both in Belgium and abroad.
The number of fully certified ECOL training institutes in Europe now stands at five. The other approved organizations are: Mammoet (the Netherlands); Sarens (Belgium); EUC Lillebælt (Denmark); and Liebherr (Germany). Talks with other companies and national institutes are currently underway.
ESTA developed ECOL to establish a unified, continent-wide standard for crane operators. Each European country had its own unique rules for operator certification and competence, ranging from mandatory to non-existent. This inconsistency makes it difficult for skilled operators to work across borders and creates safety compliance headaches.
By setting a rigorous, high-level educational and practical benchmark, ESTA aimed to improve overall job site safety, reduce risks and increase workforce mobility, making it significantly easier for qualified crane operators to move and work freely across the continent without being forced to retake tests or earn new local certifications. Standardized training also helps reduce training costs for companies operating internationally and makes it easier to recruit and deploy qualified personnel.
Giovanni Pauwels, Strategic Account Manager Industry at VDAB:
Choosing ECOL is choosing for standardisation on a higher level. True to our mission, we at Comokra strive for the highest standards, delivering results that truly matter.