Technological advances are profoundly changing the multiple work processes that take place in the “port world”. It is a singular intersection of private and public disciplines where the interests of a plurality of subjects are gathered: public bodies in the port and maritime sectors in their various forms, loading and unloading companies, carriers and shippers, industrial companies and other users, port workers, and all community. In this context, work in ports requires even greater professionalism, specialization, safety, stability and competences.
Ports are an asset of vital importance for the European economy. In fact, over 70% of goods crossing European borders travel by sea and ports really represent the commercial gateway to Europe. European ports employ 1.5 million people and manage goods for a total value of 1,700 billion euros each year. Port is not only breakwaters, dams, docks, dockyards, wharves and piers, it also in technological networks able to communicate with ships, trains and goods lorries.
The port labour demand has fundamentally changed its characteristics due to technological innovation and the high degree of automation processes. This demand is reduced in terms of number of units of workers, but at the same time this raises the level of skills and training required for the port operations being carrying out. This level can only be guaranteed by high quality on going and refreshing training systems that are able to identify the needs of companies and motivate, listen and involve port workers in port work changes.
The objective of the project is to define the basis for a European training plan in ports that, while respecting the individual national regulations, identify common applicable elements throughout the European Union. The project will focus on the exchange of best practices on continuous training for the development of innovative professional skills on the following topics:
- New port skills: training systems to update the skills of the workers in the perspective of the increasing automation of the port terminals. Optimization and sharing of plans for continuous training. Digitization and Automation.
- Port government bodies, entrepreneurs and managers in project partner countries: exchange of best practices from application of the European law on the guidance and management of ports to the organization of port in relation to new European legislation on privacy.
- Port system organization: Environmental sustainability of the ports. Ports integration in the urban area. Energy from renewable sources in port areas. Safety and security.
Ports & Skills aims to exchange best practices among workers in participating port communities in the four countries. Exchanges of best practices will include a total of 5 Learning training meetings (LTTA) in partner countries for 3 to 5 days maximum. A maximum of 72 participants, may be involved during the project time. They will be selected in each partner country among port workers in port terminal, port authorities, port companies, maritime authorities depending the topics of the meetings.
Valencia will be held two LTTA meetings to exchange good practices, where workers from the port communities of Rotterdam, Livorno and Corfu will attend.
One of the results of the project is a network creation with the partner of the project and other institution not partners in this project building a cooperation to set up a technical board aimed at develop the many initiatives including:
- build and consolidate a cooperation network;
- build and share criteria and methodologies to realize new projects for validating and certifying professional skills in the port, logistics and maritime sector;
- build criteria and operational modalities to encourage the mobility of human resources in the port and logistics sector;
- cooperate in matter of learning and skill certification, development programs as per premise;
- involve respective territorial networks disseminating the objectives of the project in the areas of interest in order to extend the multiplier effect and promote networking.
