Press Release

24 November 2006

PORT OPERATIVES TRAINING

 

Stornoway Port Authority has linked up with Lews Castle to provide training for Port Operatives.

 

The requirement for some formal training within the ports industry has long since been recognised, but the various agencies involved could not fully agree on the best structure, especially when the operations of the smaller ports were being considered.

 

The Stornoway Port Authority Harbour Master, Captain Torquil Macleod took the initiative a year ago, to put together a syllabus that would capture the specific needs of the smaller ports, whilst still paying due regard to the National Occupational Standard, as defined by the lead agency, Port Skills and Safety. After much discussion with Ken Kennedy of the Maritime Studies Department at Lews Castle College , a four day course was established with the full approval of the Port Skills and Safety, as the accrediting body.

 

The first course was run last week with eight attendees, three from Stornoway Harbour plus five from Ullapool Harbour . The course is aimed at candidates with varying levels of experience, whose earlier backgrounds may not have been in a marine environment.

 

The course will be run periodically, subject to demand from other ports, as well as Stornoway. With limited publicity, the course has already attracted interest from Scrabster , Cal Mac, Invergordon and Ullapool.