THE Port of Tilbury has reminded residents including young people and job seekers that it will be hosting a recruitment day on Tuiesday, 29 June at the London Cruise Terminal, to showcase the career and skills development opportunities available across the port for adults of all ages.

The day will run from 11am until 8pm and will be opened by Forth Ports Group CEO Charles Hammond OBE.

Mr Hammond says: "The Port of Tilbury has been in operation for over 135 years and is a major employer of people in its local communities with many people at the port enjoying long careers. The port's activities are wide ranging and as key workers, the port has played a vital role of ensuring that goods, medicines and food get to where they need to be throughout the pandemic.

"As we enter the recovery stage of the pandemic with a clear focus on job creation and skills development, the port will play its part in the economic recovery through investment and growth.

"The port has many opportunities to build a lifelong career or to develop skills for the workplace from early careers including apprenticeships; operations, engineering or in the port's vital support areas such as finance or procurement."

Paul Dale, Asset and Site Director at the Port added: "We know that the impacts of the pandemic has affected job and training opportunities for many people in the community but at the Port of Tilbury we are focussed on supporting and giving people opportunities to create their own career pathways.

"We are proud of our investment in our port teams to ensure that we have the skills for our business in the future and there are a lot of new opportunities here at our busy port as we rapidly expand our facilities including the recent opening of our new port Tilbury2.

"We look forward to welcoming people along to our recruitment event on 29 June and to hopefully getting them started in their careers."

APPRENTICESHIPS - as part of the recruitment event, the port has 12 apprentices in full time roles across the port following the completion of a successful two-year programme. The Warehouse and Supply Chain Operative Apprenticeship programme has been running since 2016 with 26 apprentices (aged between 18 – 24) now having successfully completed this apprenticeship. The apprentices developed their skills over a 2-year period and every one of the apprentices including the 10 young apprentices who have completed this year, have been kept on in full times roles across the port.

KICKSTART - The Port of Tilbury, in partnership with the PLA, announced in February that it was offering over 30 unemployed young people the opportunity to join the Port of Tilbury and Port of London Authority (PLA) in Gravesend for paid six-month traineeships this spring, as part of the Government's £2.4 billion Kickstart work programme. The opportunities available range from administration through to operations, will give 16 to 24-year olds a chance to gain important experience in a real working environment.

Routes to LOGISTICS is a new programme which was launched in March 2021 for the local Tilbury community. The programme runs an introductory training course of up to three days on working in the Transport and Logistics industry. The purpose is to build aspiration and develop follow on support and training, tailored to the individual to help them into work. The course includes access to key accredited courses First Aid, Health and Safety, Fork Lift Novice Licence and IOSH managing safety course with additional e- earning modules that can be accessed from anywhere and cover all aspects of personal development, accredited health and safety and aspects of the Logistics Industry.

The Recruitment Day will take place in the London Cruise Terminal on Tuesday 29 June from 11am – 8pm. Everyone is welcome. There will be strict C19 hygiene and social distancing measures in place throughout the day.

For more about careers at Forth Ports and current vacancies, click here.