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Belfast Met joins partners to launch Northern Ireland’s first Port Operations Apprenticeship Framework
L-R: Declan McGrady (Department for the Economy), Michael Robinson (Belfast Harbour), Nicola Reilly (Belfast Met), Chris Corken (Belfast Met) and Paul Parry (Port Training Services).
Belfast Metropolitan College has partnered with Port Training Services (PTS) and Belfast Harbour to launch Northern Ireland’s first Level 2 Port Operations Apprenticeship Framework.
Funded by the Department for the Economy, the initiative supports skills development across the region’s growing maritime and logistics sector.
Developed with direct industry input, the employer-led programme is delivered by Belfast Met in partnership with Port Training Services, combining practical, on-the-job training with classroom-based learning.
The main accredited qualification within the framework equips employees with industry-relevant skills, confidence and competence, while helping port employers enhance operational efficiency, build capability, strengthen safety standards and support long-term workforce development.
The framework includes five specialist pathways, reflecting the breadth of roles within modern port operations:
- Cruise & Ferry Terminal Operations
- General Operations
- Stevedoring Operations
- Marine Operations
- Container Operations
Available at no training cost to employers, the new apprenticeship programme offers an accessible route to strengthening workforce capability and supporting the continued growth of Northern Ireland’s port sector.
The new framework was launched recently at an event in Belfast Harbour, bringing together employers, representatives from industry, education and government.