TRANSNET this week celebrated the graduation of 283 KwaZulu-Natal-based graduates out of a record 513 national graduates who recently completed their qualifications in various aspects of port and marine operations.

The graduates completed internationally-recognised qualifications through Transnet’s specialised academy for marine and port operations skills, including:

Marine Pilots (to assume command of vessels into and out of South African port areas);

Tug Masters (to operate tugs or power boats which manoeuvre vessels); Engineers; Operators: Lifting Equipment (ship-to-shore cranes, rubber tyred gantry (cranes) and straddle carrier operators)

Transnet’s Maritime School of Excellence offers sector-specific training in marine operations, terminal operations, port management, port engineering and other specialised training for Transnet’s ports operating divisions Transnet Port Terminals and Transnet National Ports Authority. It has a main campus in Durban and three satellite campuses in Richards Bay, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

The company has committed R7-billion towards skills development and training.

The Maritime School of Excellence was established in 2013 to address shortages of technical skills in the maritime sector and to respond to the broader challenge of addressing critical skills shortages required to stimulate economic growth, job creation and overall improvement of the quality of life for all.

Over the last few years, Transnet has trained students from Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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