Skills shortage hits stevedoring sector

The skills shortage is an issue for
every sector of the industry, but
particularly hard hit is stevedoring,
in the view of Tarryn Lange,
regional manager KZN Stevedores
for Bidfreight Port Operations.
“Stevedoring is a tough industry
and we find that the majority
of graduates from the Durban
University of Technology (Maritime
Studies Unit) are choosing seagoing
subjects and going to sea
instead of finding employment at
shore side companies,” said Lange.
“For this reason BPO conducts
in-house training and learnerships
for lower level skills upwards,
but is finding it difficult to attract
graduates for supervisory and
management positions.”