The Minister, whose responsibilities include maritime, skills and apprenticeships, began her visit to the port with a tour of DPWorld’s Southampton container terminal where she was introduced to a selection of second third and fourth year multi-skilled electro-mechanical apprentices who work to support quay crane and straddle carrier engineering maintenance operations.
In addition, Nusrat met with a past female apprentice; now an engineering technician, who was able to give an overview of her journey through the apprenticeship programme and day to day life working as an engineer at DPWorld Southampton.
Following a tour of the cruise ship Britannia, hosted by Carnival, the Minister was met by ABP Southampton director Alastair Welch and given an overview of the port, it’s operations and an insight into the vital role the port plays in the regional and national economy.
Alastair Welch
ABP Southampton director
“We were delighted to welcome the Minister here at the port. We discussed a range of issues including our ongoing work with local partners to create a better environment and further improve air quality across the city. We also discussed the exciting opportunities at the port to further boost the UK’s trade and export.
“Southampton is already the UK’s number one export port handling exports worth £40 billion a year and a key global gateway for British manufacturers. It’s a track record of success that we will continue to build on.”
Nusrat Ghani
Shipping Minister
"Our ports are crucial to the success of the UK, providing us with food to fill our cupboards and energy to heat our homes.
"It was great to see the many different aspects of Southampton - one of the UK's leading ports – and the diverse range of job opportunities on offer.
"The number of enthusiastic apprentices here covering a variety roles shows just how rewarding a career in maritime can be."
