Owner of the Port of Liverpool will offer vocational training to employees in Liverpool, Manchester, Heysham and eventually Sheerness and Great Yarmouth

Port of Liverpool owner Peel Ports is to offer training to around 100 existing staff in a £300,000 programme funded via the Apprenticeship Levy.

This is more than five times the 19 employees put through vocational training in 2018 and there training will cover topics from leadership to port operations and involve workers from sits in Liverpool, Manchester, Heysham and eventually Sheerness and Great Yarmouth.

The investment is part a wider programme of professional development that will see nearly 10% of the entire Peel Ports workforce of 1,600 taking part in additional learning throughout 2019. 

Much of the training is being delivered in partnership with West Lancashire College, although Peel Ports also retains strong links with a range of education providers in the Liverpool city region. 

Peel Ports’ chief executive Mark Whitworth said: “It’s always been clear to me that we must invest in our next generation of talent, as they will deliver and lead our services in years to come.

“I’m very proud of the support we’re providing these apprentices and even happier that so many of them have made such a commitment to their own personal development.”

Over the last year Peel Ports has continued to grow, increasing its headcount by almost 10%. It has also transferred-in more than 300 agency staff, underpinned by a new three-year pay deal and enhanced terms and conditions.