THE Port of Tilbury welcomed hundreds of people from the local area to their recruitment day on Tuesday, 29 June at the London Cruise Terminal.

The event was was designed to showcase the career and skills development opportunities the business has available across the port for adults of all ages. Attendees took the opportunity to speak to many people from across the port and some also tried their hand at moving containers using the digital simulator.

Commenting on the event, Paul Dale, Asset & Site Director at the port, said: "Our event yesterday was a great success with hundreds of people of all ages coming to the cruise terminal to find out about our career opportunities at the port.

"Recruiting has never been so important as we enter the recovery stage of the pandemic with a clear focus on job creation and skills development. I am proud of the role that the port and our teams will play in the economic recovery through investment and growth.

"The Port of Tilbury has been in operation for over 135 years and we are a major local employer. Many of our people at the port have enjoyed long careers with 55 per cent of our management team starting as apprenticeships including myself."

Michelle Primrose, Group HR Manager at Forth Ports said: "I am so pleased that so many people came along to our recruitment event this week. This was the first time that we have hosted an event on this scale and I hope that the people who came along will one day be working for us in one of our many roles across the port. We are a growing port and we need a strong workforce of skills across all our activities to ensure we can continue to thrive in the future. My sincere thanks to all the team who made the event happen."

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

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.

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.