Developing a Qualified Workforce for Greener Ports

Ports are key components of the supply chain management and overall economy, by granting access to resources via transportation and services, while pursuing safety and security. Europe accommodates more than 1,200 ports, associated with adverse environmental impact, due to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Although the EU prioritises the greening of ports, its Blue Economy workforce, which represents about 5.4 million jobs, lacks knowledge, skills and competences required to promote green pathways and to employ efficiently recent technologies towards the European Green Deal. Against this background, the BLUE PORTS project enhances the capacity of the European ports’ human capital in small and medium ports by introducing a tailored training and certification scheme that covers green technology solutions, integration of green products/services and business models, that help minimize the environmental footprint of ports’ activities and drive their green transition. This new operational certification scheme, in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024, will be tested and validated in selected Mediterranean and Black Sea ports. The mutual recognition across Europe of the BLUE PORTS scheme, based on the European Accreditation Mutual Agreement will offer professional advantage, enhanced career and mobility opportunities, ultimately creating and sustaining new, greener jobs in the port industry.