Workforce

Seaports need specialized skill sets that vary by port and evolve over time, which means human resource departments are being continually tasked with aligning ports’ needs with skilled candidates.

AAPA was awarded a $5.89 million grant and is among 28 U.S. entities to receive money to administer nearly $100 million over a four-year period through the “Apprenticeship: Closing the Skills Gap: US DOL Apprenticeship Grants.”

The port of the future is one that interlaces logistics needs, community expectations and shipping/cargo demands in addition to planning on terminal growth and change. As ports are modernizing, growing and changing, master planners are coming up with ways to creatively incorporate innovative ideas that wind together and present a user-, community- and business-friendly front.

Sometimes heroes are hidden, but other times their accomplishments even earn recognition from outside organizations. Here are just a few of our 2019 hidden heroes.

When it comes to letting their employees know how important they are, ports are stepping up – way up.

Thirty-one ports earned accolades and three received an Overall Award of Communications Excellence trophy for submitting top-scoring entries in AAPA’s 53rd annual Communications Awards Program. The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has notified 31 of its 130-member seaports throughout the Western Hemisphere that they’ve earned one or more awards for exemplary communications projects and programs as part of the ...

Taking the time to invest in career growth might seem to fall at the end of a very long to-do list. The payoff, however, can be deep and extend well beyond that next career move. Follow these up-and-coming leaders sharing these personal and insightful stories. * By Sandy Smith * Port leaders – whether departmental leaders or at the top ...

Apprenticeship Programs: Tried, True and Effective A centuries-old method of training skilled workers could help supply ports and their maritime partners with the modern workforce they need. * By Mary Lou Jay * Apprenticeships have long been a well-established and well-respected route to good jobs, but for a time they fell out of favor because of the perception that college ...

Defining where worker training and development should start and where it should end may be the answer. * By Lori Musser * Ports generate plenty of jobs. In the United States, alone, there were 31 million at last count – 2.3 million within the port sector and the remainder in related industries. Filling all these positions with top-notch talent and ...

Ports seek skilled, experienced workers to tackle security needs, including rising demands on the cybersecurity front. * By Tom Gresham * The growing economy and corresponding increase in activity at the nation’s ports have put pressure on the security side of port operations, officials say. More traffic means more to protect – and to protect against. However, the strength of ...