A Career in Ports
Ports are an essential link in our supply chain and the UK ports industry plays a
fundamentally important role in the country’s economy. Some 95% of the
UK’s international trade – imports and exports – is carried through
UK ports. Ports enable the UK to trade in raw materials such as oil, chemicals, ores
and grain; and in finished good, for example, vehicles, steel and fresh foods.
There are major all-purpose ports, such as London and Liverpool; ferry ports such as
Dover; specialised container ports, such as Felixstowe; and ports catering for
specialised bulk traffic, such as coal or oil. There are also smaller ports essentially
catering for local traffic, and there are other ports specialising in particular
sectors, such as fishing or leisure use, such as marinas.
The UK ports industry is the largest in Europe, in terms of total tonnage handled.
Total tonnage is about 560 million tonnes a year and annual international passenger
throughput is about 30 million. Despite the large number of ports, much of the tonnage
is concentrated among a comparatively small number of ports – the top 16 ports
account for 80% of the total.
The work
As an island nation, Britain has about 120 commercial ports. Ports are
mechanised, and so only need a small number of workers to deal with cargo. It is
estimated that some 130,000 people are directly employed in the UK ports industry, with
around 50% of jobs are in port operations; other jobs are in technical work,
administration and management.
The skills
- Good communication and team working skills
- Flexible and able to work irregular hours
- Fit and healthy – some roles will involve lifting – and a
willingness to work outdoors
- Safety conscious
- Language skills, reflecting the global nature of the occupation
- It is important to note that, due to the potentially dangerous work environment,
some areas of recruitment will be restricted to those aged 21 and over.
Entry requirements
There is a range of jobs on the commercial and administration side that are open to
entrants with GCSEs/Standards and/or A levels/Highers. Large companies offer graduate
management training schemes and there are graduate apprenticeship opportunities.
There are apprenticeship opportunities in port-related occupations, so it is worth
visiting the Apprenticeship websites to see what is available (there are separate sites
for each of the four nations):
Salary and career development
Pay is generally good but varies widely depending on the job role and geographical
area. A port operative can earn anything between £17,000 and £25,000 per
year, depending on responsibilities, qualifications and shift work
responsibilities.
On the job training can bring can bring promotion to supervisory jobs or junior
management roles for people in operational or technical roles. There is a range
of relevant vocational and professional qualifications that can be studied at college
or by distance learning.
Employers
There is a mix of employers across the following categories:
- Ferry and cruise companies
- Transport and freight forwarding companies
- Stevedoring companies (handle loading and unload cargoes)
- Warehouse operators
- Catering firms
- Repair and maintenance operators
- HM Revenue and Customs
Contacts
For more information on careers in ports visit the following
websites: