Qualifications and Apprenticeships
PSS is the Standards Setting Body for the ports sector and works with employers, and other key stakeholders, to develop Qualifications frameworks and Apprenticeships that will meet the needs of employers and learners into the future.
Qualifications frameworks
Port specific qualifications covering Port Operations and Supervision of Port Operations are available in Scotland, England and Wales.
The qualifications have a core of mandatory units based around health and safety in ports. However, the rest of the units can be selected flexibly to suit different port businesses.
Units can be combined to make qualifications that focus on: stevedoring, passenger operations, marine, team leading and so on.
There are different qualifications to match different national frameworks. Click on the links below to see a full list of the units available in each qualification:
| England and Wales | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Level 2 Certificate in Port Operations | SVQ Level 2 in Port Operations |
| Level 3 Diploma in Supervision of Port Operations | SVQ Level 3 in Supervision of Port Operations |
There are two Awarding Bodies for the qualifications:
| Scottish Qualifications Authority | Excellence, Achievement & Learning Limited |
|---|---|
| SVQ Level 2 in Port Operations | Level 2 Certificate in Port Operations |
| SVQ Level 3 in Supervision of Port Operations | |
| Level 3 Diploma in Supervision of Port Operations | |
If you are an employer, training provider or college interested in becoming an assessment centre for the qualifications, please contact the relevant awarding body: EAL or SQA.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are an important part of the framework of qualifications for ports, and are designed to give the the skills and experience needed to have a long and successful career in the industry.
There are a number of types of Apprenticeship available at present. These are potentially pretty confusing to anyone who is not 'in the business'. Because skills are a devolved matter the titles and structures vary between the UK nations and there are differences within funding arrangements
Broadly (and probably too simplistically!) the situation is as follows
| Country | Apprenticeship | Status | Qualifications | Funding Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England |
Specification of apprenticeship standards for England (SASE) |
Older format, likely to be retired around 2020 | Based around NVQs | Eligible for Apprenticeship Levy funding but funding may be less generous for older apprentices |
| England | Trailblazer Apprenticeship | Newer format | Not based around qualifications | Eligible for Apprenticeship Levy funding |
| Scotland | Modern Apprenticeship | Current format | Based around SVQs | National funding may be available, the situation with Levy funding is not entirely clear |
| Wales | Apprenticeships | Current format | Based around qualifications from the Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales | National funding may be available, the situation with Levy funding is not entirely clear |
More information about Trailblazer Apprenticeships
We have some guidance documents below available for download. However, the "What is an Apprenticeship" document applies to the older SASE format apprenticeship.