Qualifications come into dock at Eastleigh College
| Published: 19th June 2008 18:10 |
South Coast Port Services (SCPS) are the first stevedoring company in the UK to pilot an innovative scheme allowing its stevedores (dockworkers) to gain NVQ qualifications in Port Operations.
Under the Government's Train to Gain scheme, Eastleigh College and Drake Port Services have teamed up with SCPS to deliver the Level 2 NVQ to an initial batch of nine stevedores; all of whom successfully graduated in May.
"The NVQ programme has enabled our employees to gain qualifications and has helped audit our training and operational processes. It has aided motivation and performance levels of all those involved, " commented Elly Heaton-Kostek, Head of Personnel Services for SCPS.
"As a result we have received a lot of interest from other employees who would like to complete the NVQ and are looking to continue with the programme this year. We are also considering creating a new team of internal NVQ assessors from the group that successfully completed the pilot scheme to help train others."
"The NVQ has provided SCPS with a minimum benchmark standard that can only bring benefits to the Company both on a commercial and operational level."
The success of the pilot scheme now means the doors are wide open to a large proportion of those employed at Southampton Docks and should ensure that skill levels in the port continue to rise.
Mathew Phelps, Workforce and Business Development Manager for Eastleigh College commented "We are extremely pleased with the success of the pilot scheme and will now look to open it up to other ports across the UK."
If you are interested in finding out more about the NVQ in Port Operations, please contact the Workforce and Business Development Team on 023 8091 1195.
For more details about Eastleigh College courses visit www.eastleigh.ac.uk
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