Categories: a-port-information, British Ports Association, News, UK Major Ports GroupPublished On: 26.01.2023352 words1.8 min read

PSS renews commitment to port skills

Port Skills and Safety Ltd (PSS) has launched a new five-year strategy designed to put skills at the heart of improving safety and promoting high standards in UK ports.

The new strategy will see PSS work in collaboration with other maritime organisations on a range of new projects to highlight the opportunities that exist across UK ports. These include gathering more data on the jobs in ports, career pathways, and skills audits.

“PSS has always focussed on port skills, but this has traditionally been around Health and Safety skills, National Occupational Standards (NOS), and apprenticeships,” said Debbie Cavaldoro, PSS chief executive. “This new strategy highlights our commitment to skills in the broader sense, including the wider skills required in ports, professional development, and the future skills needs.

“Some of this work has already begun, with the launch of the Ports Skills Group in July last year and the Skills Intelligence Modelling data collection project in December. The next five years will see PSS gather more data on the skills and qualifications needed for port jobs, share best practice on training and development, and lead the conversation on the future skills need for UK ports.”

The strategy puts collaboration at the heart of port skills and PSS will be calling on members, port associations and the wide maritime industry to support this new strategy, shared best practice and work together to address future skills needs. It has been endorsed by PSS shareholder organisations, the British Ports Association (BPA) and the UK Major Ports Group (UKMPG).

Richard Ballantyne, chief executive of the British Ports Association said: “This is an exciting strategy and we are pleased to be supporting PSS in its new skills drive. The ports industry has a number of growing skills needs and challenges and it’s right that PSS, the sector’s main body for qualifications, training and of course safety refines and refocuses it’s efforts on the skills agenda.”

The PSS Skills Strategy 2023 – 2028 is available for members to view on the PSS website or via email request to [email protected].