By David Ralph, chief executive, Haven Gateway

With the UK’s largest container port at Felixstowe, a major cruise and ferry port at Harwich and the country’s biggest grain export port at Ipswich, no one would argue with the clout of our subregion in the port and logistics ‘league table’.

Studies and statistics confirm the importance of the sector to our regional economy, too. But they have also confirmed something else – that we cannot afford to sit back and assume all will move forward by itself. As the industry expands, so does the need for the right people with the right skills and qualifications. We must focus on training – otherwise, where is the next generation of workers going to come from?

So it’s good to know that in the Haven Gateway we are seeing real work and real achievement going on in this field.

Harwich International Port has just joined forces with Colchester Institute to create ‘The Energy Skills Centre at Harwich’; being set up at the port, it will have an engineering focus and is designed to meet the needs of employers in the area, with a particular eye on the offshore wind farm sector.

The centre will provide further education and apprenticeship programmes created by the college’s Centre for Engineering to support business development and regeneration. And we are talking about real skills here – such as engineering and welding, from early 2012.

“We are very aware of the need for expanding support for this crucial industry and acting as a catalyst for local skills growth, to enable HIP to remain at the forefront of offshore renewables in the UK,” said David Gledhill, chief executive of Hutchison Ports (UK), which owns the port.

Across the border, Suffolk New College, ITS Training Services, the Institute of Export and RTS Transport Training Services launched the East Anglian Training Partnership for International Trade and Logistics earlier this year.

Based at Suffolk New College, the partnership was set up to provide training covering all aspects of international trade and logistics, with a particular focus on the Haven Gateway.

“These courses can be full-time or part-time day or evening, and can be delivered to other related sectors in Suffolk,” explains Orville Gardener of Suffolk New College. “Delivery is flexible and courses can take place in the workplace, in the classroom or online. Also, they are not subject to the academic year, which means they can be delivered at a time to suit the specific business.”

As well as offering a big collection of courses on business and administration in shipping, international trade and logistics, warehousing, etc., the partnership plans to work with schools – and that is a vital message.

It’s important that young people beginning to consider their career options after school are made aware of the wide range of opportunities in this sector.

“We plan to introduce logistics and international trade to local learners aged 14 who will join the collect at 16 or 17 on a full-time course or apprenticeship,” says Orville Gardener.

As they seek to meet the training requirements of employers at the Haven ports, the partners are offering free on-site visits to assess employers needs and identify skills gaps, in order to develop bespoke training and development packages, on-site or at the college.