Demand for Shipping Jobs Grows

Young people are queuing up to join the U.K. shipping industry, according to Felixstowe-based ITS Training Services. Following a series of events to help promote careers in shipping, ITS has been inundated by young people seeking, in particular, entry-level positions. Over recent months, ITS has been busy building awareness of the range of careers available in the shipping industry. Not only has it attended career conventions at schools and colleges, it has organised a number of workshops giving students an insight into daily activities in the shipping industry such as dealing with bills of lading and customs clearance. "The response from students has been very encouraging," says Barbara Fletcher, consultant director of strategy and development at ITS and former director of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. As a result, ITS has set up an online database of candidates seeking employment in the UK shipping industry. The database is freely accessible via the ITS website - www.itstraining.co.uk

"Not only can potential employers use the database to view each candidate's academic history, they can rest assured that each candidate has undergone government-approved aptitude tests to ensure they possess the necessary communication, IT and numerical skills for a career in shipping," says John Edson, managing director of ITS. ITS has been keen to not only make young people aware of the range of career opportunities available but also the long-term prospects. "We provide training to many leading names in the shipping industry, such as Maersk, OOCL, Fred Olsen, Hapag Lloyd, Mitsui OSK, Cory Brothers and Medite Shipping Company. With companies such as these investing heavily in ongoing career training, shipping really can be a job for life," adds Edson.