Over 100 graduates have completed their training at Transnet’s specialist academy for maritime skills.

In a ceremony witnessed by leading lights in the maritime sector, 115 trainees completed courses in various areas of port operations, including:

• Marine Pilots (13) to assume command of vessels into and out of South African port areas
• Tug Masters (21) to operate tugs or power boats which manoeuvre vessels
• Chief Engineers (3)
• Engineering Technicians (9)
• Engineers (9)
• Master Port Operators (8) for the Namibian Ports Authority
• Master Port Operators (8) and
• Operators (36)

All 115 graduates completed their internationally recognised qualifications at Transnet’s Maritime School of Excellence campuses situated at the old Durban airport site (main campus) and its satellite campuses in Richards Bay, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

Transnet is spending an unprecedented R7,7 billion on training as it drives to meet its capacity requirements in line with the Market Demand Strategy (MDS). This year’s graduating class, of whom more than 90% are black, are now employed in Transnet’s port operations throughout South Africa.

Eight of this year’s graduates are from the Namibian Port Authority.

The Transnet Maritime School of Excellence is a merger of the School of Ports and the School of Port Operations and is the first of its kind in South Africa.

Programmes delivered by the Maritime School of Excellence have been identified in line with Transnet’s capital investment programme and the business imperatives of Transnet clients.

Transnet, which has spent about R2,5 billion in training over the last two years, amalgamated its different schools under the Transnet Academy. This is intended to ensure an integrated approach to training delivery across the company while at the same time benefitting from economies of scale through shared services in areas like Human Resources and Procurement.