HHLA launches training offensive

Altogether more than 300 staff of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) at its Hamburg location will be using the period of short-time working for further training. Full-time training courses for 69 staff leading to the qualifications of Certified Specialist for Port Logistics and Certified Specialist for Port Operations commenced on 3 August.
With the first 69 staff attending 18-month vocational training courses as Certified Specialist for Port Logistics and Certified Specialist for Port Operations, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) launched its training offensive on 3 August. The drive is a crucial feature of the ‘Securing the Future’ project, part of the programme of measures designed to master the current economic crisis for more than 3,600 HHLA staff at its Hamburg location.

What the heavy workload only made feasible to a limited extent during the boom times can now be implemented through intelligent programmes.

When combined with short-time working, training measures can now be harnessed to achieve a sustained improvement in the career prospects of those affected, while at the same time boosting the level of training of the workforce.

As part of its training drive, HHLA is providing over 30 different vocational and further training courses for all its professional categories: for port workers, for example, as well as craftsmen, commercial/office staff, technicians and programmers. Currently seventeen courses leading to specific qualifications are already planned
for over 300 HHLA staff.

These training measures have been drawn up in close cooperation with the Hamburg Employment Agency along with further training institutions.

During several months of preparations, special attention has been given to creating customized programmes that would cater for the current and future requirements of port logistics.

HHLA and its partners have especially profited here from their many years of joint experience in vocational and in-service training. This is embodied especially in the ma-co (maritime competenzcentrum) inter-company training institute that was formed on 1 January 2008 with the merger of the Port of Hamburg Further Training Centre (FZH), Bremen Port School (hfs) and HHLA’s own trade school. This unique joint training venture for the logistics, port and shipping sectors had already been founded during the boom times with the objective of developing and running in-service and further training courses to satisfy steeply rising demands from worldwide logistics chains and networks.

Two examples of these are the courses for the qualifications as Certified Specialist for Port Logistics and Certified Specialist for Port Operations, the latter developed in cooperation with Schleswig-Holstein Business Academy. In customized form, both training courses are being used for the current training offensive in combination with short-time working:

On the eighteen-month training course as a Certified Specialist for Port Logistics, sandwich blocks at the maritimes competenzcentrum (ma-co) alternate with practical training at the company. Within eighteen months (instead of the customary three years) those attending therefore gain a modern port-specific professional qualification – something attractive for all port workers with another professional qualification, or none at all.

The qualification as Certified Specialist for Port Operations, Transport and Logistics is also awarded following eighteen months alternating between theory (three days a week every two months) and learning on the job. This Certified Specialist profile, specially devised in cooperation with the Schleswig-Holstein Business Acad-emy to meet the needs of port logistics, substantially enhances the subsequent pros-pects of promotion for those qualifying. It also incorporates qualification as a vocational trainer.

As an additional incentive for attendance, for those on long-term training measures (more than six months) HHLA tops up remuneration for short-time working to reach 90 percent of previous net salary/wages.

Following successful completion of the course, this is again raised retrospectively to 95 percent.

In addition to its training offensive, depending on the actual work shortfall in individual companies and departments, HHLA is organizing needs-oriented, flexible short-time working, the extent of which is determined each month. Here HHLA tops up remuneration for short-time working to the statutory 60 or 67 percent to a standard 80 percent.

Along with a reduction in the use of external labour, the discontinuation of overtime and the extension of partial early retirement, for the Hamburg location this results in a reduction of work volume by around 20 percent.

(Source: Transport Weekly)