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Basic courses 1 and 2, main course's two levels, alternation between school and practice, duration and how to get started
If you want to be a port and terminal worker, the path is through a vocational education that alternates between school and practical training. You learn the profession in both places: the basics and the profession at vocational school and the practical work at a real port or terminal. Here you get a complete picture of how the course fits together so you know what you are getting into.
§The basic course — the first half-year twice
The education begins with a basic course divided into two parts. Basic course 1 is broad and is about finding your place in a vocational main area and general subjects. It is especially for you coming more or less directly from primary school. Basic course 2 is targeted to the trade itself and prepares you to start an apprenticeship. Each part is about 20 weeks so approximately half a year.
§Main course — two levels on top of each other
After the basic course comes the main course, where you are truly in practice and only go to school in shorter periods at a time. The main course is structured in two levels. The first level leads to the title harbor helper, and the second level on top of it leads to the full title harbor and terminal worker. So you can rise one level at a time.
Step 1 — harbor helper
On level 1, you learn the central tasks in cargo handling: operating machines such as forklifts, securing and stowing cargo correctly, working safely in a busy area, and using the terminal's IT and communication systems. If you finish here, you are trained as a port assistant.
Step 2 — harbor and terminal worker
If you choose to continue at level 2, you build further with more complex tasks: broader machine operation, load securing in difficult situations, logistics and quality, environmental issues and basic handling of dangerous goods. The full qualification as a port and terminal worker is at level 4 in the Danish qualifications framework for lifelong learning.
§School and internship alternate
What's special about a vocational education is precisely the alternation. You are most of the time in practice at a company where you earn money and learn the trade in practice and then you are at school in several shorter periods along the way where theory and more structured exercises fill time. The school periods in the main program are spread throughout the program so theory and practice constantly interact.
§Duration and structure at a glance
| Part | What's happening | Duration (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | Broad vocational course and general subjects | 20 uger |
| Basic course 2 | Targeted trade; ready for apprenticeship | 20 uger |
| Main course, level 1 | Apprenticeship + school towards port assistant | ca. 1 år |
| Main course, level 2 | Apprenticeship + school towards port and terminal worker | ca. 1 år |
All in all, the education typically lasts between 2 and 3 years, depending on how far you go and where you start. If you stop after level 1, the course is shorter than if you go all the way to the full qualified craftsperson title.
§Entry requirements and admission
To enter you must in principle have passed primary school's leaving exam or something equivalent and there is a grade requirement in Danish and mathematics. You apply through the common application system and there is a deadline you must be aware of if you want to start with the regular admission — check the current date on the school's site as it is fixed every year.
“You learn the trade in two places at once — in the classroom and on the dock — and it's the interplay that makes you a skilled terminal worker.”