The maritime activity in Europe, and in particular the port sector, has been changing significantly over the last ten years due to the rapid technological development and the increasing geopolitical importance of world sea trade. In the context of higher volatility and trade diversification, the increasing economic growth of the port activity has lead to further challenges, mainly for the so-called ‘Ports of 4th Generation. Today, the diversity of port activities within the sector incurs in a higher diversification of job occupations, with future trends related to the inclusion of advanced technologies, effective port management procedures and sustainable requirements. As a result, the port sector has become one of the key economic sectors of high strategic value generating new occupations and jobs. The general objective of the Port VET Hub is therefore to build a sustainable transnational VET-port business cooperation to adapt VET specializations and skills with the port trends of tomorrow, attracting high-level talent and increase hiring future prospects across four key ports of Europe in the Atlantic (Lisbon), Mediterranean (Barcelona), Baltic (Ventspils) and Back Seas (Constanta). The specific objectives are the following: (1) to adapt VET port studies curricula and training offer (both of technical and non-technical specializations) according to new sector trends and skills demanded by the port companies; (2) to influence port companies about the advantadges of VET education as fundamental educational path to meet their demands and get port employeers highly capable and skilled and (3), to raise awareness and attractiveness of VET port studies and professions as a career option of strategic importance among youngsters of every partner country. Convinced by the central role of VET system in the education change processes, the innovative idea of the Port VET Hub is driven by the global attempt of gathering both social and economic groups involved in society transformation as could be port sector experts, VET staff and youngsters as a way to cooperate and exchange best practices, analyze and offer recommendations for the adaption of VET to the European port sector. The Port VET Hub is thus expected to set the basis for a long sustainable collaboration in time, based on common strategic issues and stimulating direct exchange inter-paria among strong partners with equal needs, challenges and solutions to adapt to the future of work in front of other emerging regions.
The general objective we wanted to achive was the creation of a transnational partnership between VET and port business cooperation. Project partners successfully set up the basis of a strong and committed alliance working towards the mission of the need to adapt VET education to needs of ports, which was commonly affecting port locations in Barcelona, Lisbon, Constanta and Ventspils. The specific objectives we wanted to achive was to positively persuade port companies about the advantadges of VET education as the key qualification path to solve the port requirements (SO2). Other specific objectives were the formal adaptation of VET port-related curricula according to the specific demands of the port community (SO1) as well as the raise awareness campaigns to attract youngsters to VET port studies (SO3).
Today, the diversity of port activities incurs in a higher diversification of job occupations, with future trends related to the inclusion of advanced technologies and new port management procedures, turned into a sector of high strategic value that is generating new occupations. However, this sector is encountering a number of difficulties to absorb specific professional profiles linked to very particular needs in professional training, skills acquisition and lack of information about VET by port companies. VET should enable the port employees of the present and future to adapt to the port profiles and jobs of tomorrow in the 4 main ports of Europe in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Baltic and Back Seas. The project addressed the need of VET youngsters to get opened to the advantadges of a future career in the port sector; to overcome the low level of recruitment levels of VET graduates by port companies; to identify the digital, personal and language skills required to adapt to these jobs; and to overcome the previous lack of knowledge of VET schools/staff with specific training to prepare them for the labour market in the port sector.