Port and terminal education

Port and terminal education is about getting goods safely in and out of the country. As a skilled worker at a port or terminal, you handle containers, cars, pallets and large loads — and ensure that everything is loaded, unloaded and sent on time. You become an important link in the chain that gets goods from ship to truck and further out into society.

§What do you do in everyday life?

Your day is on the dock and in the terminal area. You drive trucks and terminal tractors operate cranes and control goods in and out of ships and trucks. You keep track of what should go where and you always work with safety in mind because there are heavy loads and large machines moving around you.

• 01You learn to drive truck and operate terminal equipment.
• 02You learn to load and unload ships, trucks, and trains safely.
• 03You learn to lash and secure goods so they don't slip.
• 04You learn to handle containers and various types of cargo.
• 05You learn to work according to safety rules in a busy environment.
• 06You learn to register and keep track of the flow of goods.

§How do you get started?

You start with a basic course and then find an apprenticeship at a port or terminal. In the main course you alternate between school and practical training and get trainee wages along the way. At the workplace you learn from colleagues who know the port flow and know how things work in practice.

§The way forward

As fully trained you can work at ports and terminals throughout the country and experience opens up roles as team leader or coordinator. You can also specialise in particular crane or machine types or build further towards logistics and transport management.

“When goods are on the shelf in the shop it is because someone at the port got them safely landed.”