"Technological advances are profoundly changing the multiple work processes that take place in the ""port world"". It is a singular intersection of private and public disciplines where the interests of a plurality of subjects are gathered: public bodies in the port and maritime sectors in their various forms, loading and unloading companies, carriers and shippers, industrial companies and other users, port workers, and of course, the entire national community, becouse the economic and social importance of the ports themselves. In this context, work in ports requires even greater professionalism, specialization, safety and stability.Ports are an asset of vital importance for the European economy. In fact, over 70% of goods crossing European borders travel by sea and ports really represent the commercial gateway to Europe. European ports employ 1.5 million people and manage goods for a total value of 1,700 billion euros each year.A port is not only consist in breakwaters, dams, docks, dockyards, wharves and piers but it also consist in technological networks able to communicate with ships, trains and goods lorries.The port labour demand has fundamentally changed its characteristics due to technological innovation and the high degree of automation processes. This demand is reduced in terms of number of units of workers, but at the same time this raises the level of skills and training required for the port operations being carrying out. This level can only be guaranteed by high quality on going and refreshing training systems that are able to identify the needs of companies and motivate, listen and involve port workers in port work changes.The objective of the project is to define the basis for a European training plan in ports that, while respecting the individual national regulations, identify common applicable elements throughout the European Union. The project will focus on the exchange of best practices on continuous training for the development of innovative professional skills on the following topics:1)New port skills: training systems to update the skills of the workers in the perspective of the increasing automation of the port terminals. Optimization and sharing of plans for continuous training. Retraining themes:- Digitization- Automation2)Port government bodies, entrepreneurs and managers in project partner countries: exchange of best practices from application of the European law on the guidance and management of ports to the organization of port in relation to new European legislation on privacy.3)Port system organization:- Environmental sustainability of the ports - Ports integration in the urban area- Energy from renewable sources in port areas- Safety and security: best practices for involving companies and organizations working together on transversal issues in the port system.Exchanges of best practices will include meetings in partner countries for 3 to 5 days maximum.A maximum of 72 pupils (participants + accompaining person), divided between partner countries, may be involved during the project time. They will be selected in each partner country among port workers in port terminal, port authoryties, port companies, marittime authoryties depending the topics of the meetings.One of the results of the project is a network creation with the partner of the project and other institution not partners in this project building a cooperation to set up a technical board aimed at develop the many initiatives including:a) build and consolidate a cooperation network;b) build and share criteria and methodologies to realize new projects for validating and certifying professional skills in the port, logistics and maritime sector;c) build criteria and operational modalities to encourage the mobility of human resources in the port and logistics sector;d) cooperate in matter of learning and skill certification, development programs as per premise;f) involve respective territorial networks disseminating the objectives of the project in the areas of interest in order to extend the multiplier effect and promote networking.The impact of the project at the local, regional, national, European levels is the develop of the skills and competences of port workers (manager, enterpreneurs, chiefs of personell, trainers, tutors, etc...) concerning:-- new professionals profiles discussed in meetings- transferrable analysis of units of learning outcomes in the port sector using procedures related to evaluation, transfer, validation and adding of learning outcomes in formal, informal and not formal contexts- information and diffusion to stakeholders and wide public- increased employability and social inclusion in the port sector"

Project aims were to support national and regional rules on skills recognition according to ECVET system as following: it easier for people to get validation and recognition of work-related skills and knowledge acquired in different countries;increase the employability of VET graduates and the confidence of employers in specific skills and knowledge in VET qualifications.The aims were to develop a method of recognizing core skills in the port and logistics fields. VETPORT focused on the professional figures:Terminal Manager- Planner/ Supervisor-Drivers.These roles have been selected because they are essential for port activities. The roles are transferrable from port to port and can be adopted in other sectors.The Consortium was composed by six members:Livorno Port Authority- Vocational Training Centre manages training, certification and accreditation system for port community;Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo technical assistance EU projects;STC-GROUP Rotterdam provides training for the shipping, transport & logistics, port-bound;Valenciaport Foundation is a research training center for logistics-ports community;NMCI-CIT is specialised on training of maritime professionals;CFLI provides training, re-qualification of workers in LOGISTICS.The main activities of VETPORT were:Studies and Resources on the three port common professional profiles.It was compared qualification framework and occupational standards, designed common grounds and defined the main work processes for each profile. ECVET definition of skills, knowledge and competences has been used to describe the core abilities to carry out the work processes. This has resulted in groupings of abilities connected to actual work processes, reflecting the complexity level of occupational standards.The result was the definition of pilot transnational occupational profiles to which all partners have contributed. Pilot profiles, linked to ECVET standard, have been detailed to become training standards, identifying LO and including breakdown in Units corresponding to ECVET indicative points. A master training programme was designed for the profiles.Programmes were tested during the training mobility week. A Technical English training program was included for port handling vehicle.It was signed the MOU which contains the main features according to the ECVET standards and indications on how the learning outcomes related to the one-week mobility would be assessed and validated.A communication plan was provided, for the dissemination and valorisation of project deliverables. Website was done in IT/EN and linked to partners' websites as well as a social networks page. A video documentary was provide to explain the activities developed.It was designed a guidelines, to propose, at local, national and EU level, a mutually recognizable framework on training of port workers in view of extending this system to all port professions.Contribute to make training mobility an important and recognized tool for professional growth both in job placement training and as an experience exchange for those who are already employed. The method followed has been based on the” competency-based training and minimal training requirement”.79 workers from partner ports were involved visiting terminals in ports of Cork, Livorno, Rotterdam and Valencia. 9 training mobility weeks were carried out between November 2016-April 2017. 18 Drivers, 29 planners and 32 port terminal managers took part in training weeks, visiting container,multipurpose,ro-ro partner ports. 30 terminals were involved in sending & receiving workers,contributed to designing the training week program.5 transnational meetings were carried out:A kick off meeting in Livorno 2015; In 2015 two SC were done in Valencia;In 2016 two meetings were organized in Rotterdam and in Venice;In 2017 the SC met up in Valencia and Cork. The results achieved by the partnership were: Definition of based core competences to be improved during the one-week mobility and the minimal training program required to be assessed in term of ECVET for the profiles and recognised by the partnership embedded into ECVET standard;Design a Technical English training program for port handling vehicle for the acquisition of based competences; Collect VET best practices of the professional training program. Training week had a major impact both on workers and employers.Participants stressed the value of the program in terms of topics discussed and improved skills and knowledge;increased participation in mobility as opportunities for a professional growth.Sustainability to the project aims is the consolidation of the network and its enlargement with the organisms that took part in VetPort Continue working on share methodologies for designing “ competency based training and minimal training required” to validate and certify for professional skills in the port sector in view of getting equivalent professional qualifications recognized at local, regional and EU level.

Ports are enclaves that generate employment, wealth, and economic impact. The training of qualified professionals is the key to ensuring the viability and competitiveness of the port industry.The VET_LOGICC project will reinforce the Vocational education and training (VET) system on two Latin-American coastal countries (Costa Rica and Colombia) relevant for the maritime transport and international trading thanks to a 3-axis methodology based on Education &innovation, governance and the relationship with the labour market. VET_LOGICC will contribute to the development, employment and economic growth in Colombia and Costa Rica by means of developing an inclusive and sustainable network of educational and sectoral institutions as well as better equipped individuals and organizations in the transport, logistics and port sectors thanks to an innovative methodology based on: Curriculum Review & Development, Skills training on Terminals and Port Operations, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Digitalization and International Mobility. VET_LOGICC will transfer to Costa Rica and Colombia the successful experience in training that the ports of Valencia and Rotterdam have had for more than 30 years (supported by three experienced European entities on education and innovation: Fundacion Valenciport, STC International and CINOP). Two technical vocational educational institutions, Sena (Colombia) and CunLimon (Costa Rica) will be acting as end user of the VET program with the purpose of i) enhancing the skills and knowledge of the instructors and students, ii) having a better link with the industry and iii) establish long-term partnerships, between the EU and Latin America. The Colombian University Uninorte will facilitate the link between both Latin American VET entities and the European educational bodies. The knowledge generated will be expended and replicated among Europe and Latin American countries thanks to an outreach campaign.