This week we’ll be taking part in National Apprenticeship Week, celebrating how apprenticeships help individuals develop rewarding careers, and employers to develop people with future-ready skills.
We’ll be shining the spotlight on our graduating apprentices achievements and what their apprenticeship has done for them, hosting school trips at Tees Dock showcasing the breadth of careers on offer introducing them to the maritime sector and talking about why it’s important to raise awareness of the maritime sector.
I joined PD Port’s as early careers lead in May 2024, supporting our entry level talent across the business completing apprenticeships, and running programmes to get the word out across Teesside about the port and the high-quality jobs and careers we have to offer.
The ports and maritime sector is one of the biggest industries in the UK, bringing almost everything we eat and buy from supermarket shelves safely into the country from across the globe.
Teesport is the sixth largest port in the UK, importing and exporting millions of pounds worth of products each year and supporting thousands of jobs across the local supply chain. But we know most young people in the region don’t even know where Teesport is, let alone how to get a job there.
Historically most young people in the region haven’t known where Teesport is, what opportunities are available to them and how to access those opportunities. But through our work with the High Tide Foundation, our own programme the Teesport Explorers and the Learning & Development team we’re making steady progress towards unlocking our sometimes hidden industry and changing perceptions on what’s available within Teesside.
From crane drivers and dock workers to HGV and shunt drivers, there are so many operational roles for people who like being hands on.
But that’s not all – there are lots of engineering roles and jobs in warehousing, planning, health and safety and learning and development, to name a few.
There are also back-office roles, based in our Middlesbrough headquarters, across finance, commercial, legal, insurance, estates and communications – ports aren’t only about hi-vis and working on the dock.
PD Ports also runs the Harbour Office – the shipping version of air traffic control – and our conservancy team, who keep the Tees safe by surveying and dredging the riverbed every day of the year.
At PD Ports we’re looking to the future, gearing up to take on apprentices this September starting with our engineering department.
We want to encourage young people to consider a career in the Port Industry. We offer a diverse range of careers that goes beyond what you would expect and we’re here to open the minds of young people and show them what’s available to them.
To express your interest or for more information contact Jas Kaur our Early Careers Advisor at jas.Kaur@pdports.co.uk
