Partner Article

City college partners with Drake to up skill city workforce

Liverpool Community College’s Glaciere Maritime Academy will provide training for Drake Ports Distribution Services, the company that contracts and manages skilled personnel to the city’s port across a variety of complex port activities.

In total 64 staff from Drake will be receiving training, 37 from the city’s port and 27 from the Twelve Quays Stena Line Terminal at Birkhenhead.

The staff will be completing their Port Operatives apprenticeship with Liverpool Community College. The Apprenticeship Qualification teaches about safe loading and unloading of ships, safe working, driving boats, communication skills including VHF radio usage, sea survival, first aid, and safe mooring, working at heights and team working.

Chris Symonds, manager for Drake at Twelve Quays said: “We are delighted to be working with Liverpool Community College to help up skill our staff working in these areas, which in turn will improve performance of the sector and help workers in their own careers. Apprenticeships are excellent programs for all ages and abilities and Liverpool Community College work with the company to tailor the programs to suit the development of the skillset to compliment the business’ needs and future growth. Continuous development of our staff is of paramount importance to us and assists in progressive performance improvements which, in turn, helps them to keep their current skills fresh and introduces them to new skills that will be of great use as the port’s strategic development progresses.

“We expect to see considerable growth in the port sector in the coming years, particularly as Liverpool establishes itself as an international Superport and the Port Operatives qualification is a great initiative. Training schemes like this also will help young people get the skills they need to pursue a career in the port sector and take advantage of the jobs opportunities that will be created.”

Apprentices will be training at Liverpool Community College’s Glaciere Maritime Academy on Collingwood Dock. The first of its kind in the UK, the academy teaches students everything from leisure diving to sailing to commercial water qualifications needed for jobs working at sea and on ports.

Mark Whitehead, sailing and diving manager at the Glaciere Maritime Academy said: “Liverpool’s growth as a Superport represents a huge opportunity for young people, as it will stimulate jobs in a whole range of maritime industries. Apprenticeships like our Port Operatives qualification are designed to both act as a method of up skilling existing staff, but also giving young people a way of developing qualifications and skills in order to enjoy a successful career in the maritime sector.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dan Minchin .