Its Port Academy Liverpool building houses courses, apprenticeships and enrichment opportunities for those aged 14 years and upwards who are aiming for supporting roles connected to the maritime supply chain

Hugh Baird College is proud to be situated within the historic docklands of Bootle, just a stone’s throw from the thriving Port of Liverpool.

Firmly rooted in the development opportunities arising from the port expansion, our Port Academy Liverpool building houses courses, apprenticeships and enrichment opportunities for those aged 14 years and upwards who are aiming for supporting roles connected to the maritime supply chain.

Our links with industry across the Liverpool city region and beyond reinforce the importance we place on employers through good communication, collaboration and critical thinking and we understand that only by working with industry can we help to bridge the skills gap and provide our students with the best possible chance of entering the job market.

Peel partnership

This is no better demonstrated through initiatives such as the exclusive partnership with Peel Ports Group that enables students to apply for and undertake 10-week work experience placements across a number of disciplines at the Port of Liverpool.

Peel Ports also recently chose Hugh Baird College’s Port Academy Liverpool building for the launch of its Business on the Move Initiative, which encourages young people to consider a career in the City Region’s growing logistics sector.

Raising skill levels

The latest collaboration for Hugh Baird College is Maritime SuperSkills. Funded through the European Social Fund (ESF), this exciting project is aimed at providing higher level, degree apprenticeship opportunities in the maritime sector.

It is supported by Mersey Maritime, Liverpool John Moores University, Wirral Metropolitan College, the Engineering College, and the Northern Logistics Academy. The plan is to create a solid pipeline of career progression from Level 3 apprenticeships right up to Level 7, within the growing maritime sector.

Key competencies

A committed group of maritime employers have been brought together to shape and define the apprenticeship standards, and agree the key competencies involved in each of the roles.

The project presents a unique opportunity, which will be attractive to both employer and potential apprentice alike: it also makes a much wider contribution to the retention and development of skills within the Liverpool city region, aligned to regional growth sectors.

The Government has recently called upon employers to double the number of apprentices they employ, so this is an opportunity not to be missed!

For more information about further education courses, apprenticeships or higher education programmes at Hugh Baird College, visit www.hughbaird.ac.uk or call 0151 353 4444.  Or, if you are interested in finding out more about the Maritime SuperSkills Project, contact d.fitch@ljmu.ac.uk