Wilson, Niall Robson, Lucy Walker, Chris Huntington and Keeta Rowlands are all taking part in the 2nd Annual Apprentice Ship Cup (image courtesy of ABP/
David Lee Photography
A group of five apprentices from Associated British Ports (ABP) Humber are taking to thehigh seas in a tall ships race which is aimed purely at apprentices from across Europe.
The five ABP representatives are Marine Operations Apprentices Keeta Rowlands, Lucy Walker and Niall Robson and Engineering Apprentices Adam Wilson and Chris Huntington, who will travel to Liverpool to take part in the Apprentice Ship Cup, the biggest tall ship regatta in the UK.
ABP Engineering Apprentice Chris Huntington explains why he wanted to take part:
“I thought it would be a good experience and I’ll actually get to see what happens at sea rather than just seeing the ships come and go in dock. I think I’ll enjoy the challenge of being up at all hours and working with new people, although I won’t enjoy the lack of sleep!
“I’ll learn how far I can push myself, I think I will be completely out of my comfort zone.”
ABP Marine Training Manager Martin Gough said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for these young people and we didn’t hesitate in offering them the chance to take part. The experience will benefit both their professional and personal development and will provide memories I’m sure they’ll treasure for many years to come.
“We wish them well and we’re looking forward to keeping up with their adventures throughout the course of their journey.”
Over 300 young people from the UK, France, Ireland and the Netherlands will sail alongside professional crew on six tall ships between Liverpool, Dublin and Glasgow, before making their way back to Liverpool for the Apprentice Ship Cup gala dinner.
The event is designed to give apprentices the chance to develop their teamworking and problem-solving skills, as well as their self–confidence and leadership and communication skills.
The teams, which come from companies including Peel Ports, United Utilities and Argos, as well as ABP, also get the chance to develop practical sailing, seamanship and navigation skills.
The ABP apprentices will take part in the final leg of the race between Glasgow and Liverpool aboard tall ship Bessie Ellen between 21-27 June, where they will be tasked with steering and helmsmanship, climbing the mast and rigging, setting the sails, keeping navigation watch and domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning.
If you would like to follow the ABP team’s progress you can do so on Twitter using #ApprenticeShipCup
ABP is the UK’s leading ports operator with 21 ports and other transport related businesses creating a unique national network capable of handling a vast array of cargo.
Around one quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade passes through ABP’s Statutory Harbour Areas. ABP contributes £5.6 billion to the UK economy every year and supports 84, 000 jobs. Our current investment programme promises to deliver an extra £1.75 billion for the economy every year.
ABP…
- Handled over 1.5 million vehicles in 2013.
- Generates around one quarter of the UK’s rail freight
- Has 1.4 million square metres of covered storage
- Has 1000 hectares of open storage
- Handled 119m tonnes of cargo in 2013
- Owns 5000 hectares of port estate
- Has 87km of quay
Over the next five years, ABP is investing over £650 million in a wide range of major projects across the group.
ABP Humber
The four ports of Grimsby, Immingham, Hull and Goole handle more than 65 million tonnes of cargo between them each year.
Grimsby and Immingham form the UK’s busiest trading gateway and move around 54 million tonnes of cargo per annum.
£130-plus million is currently being invested in the biomass handling terminal in Immingham, in a Humber-wide agreement with Drax Power Ltd that has seen £25 million invested in a biomass handling facility in Hull. The Immingham Renewable Fuels Terminal handles sustainable biomass shipments and will create over 100 permanent jobs once complete. The construction phase has also created 100 employment opportunities.
The Port of Hull handles 10 million tonnes of cargo per annum and is the is the focal point for the development of the UK’s largest offshore wind turbine construction, assembly, and service facility, which will be located on the Port’s Alexandra Dock. This new facility, coupled with a new rotor blade manufacturing base near Paull to the east of the port estate, represents a £310 million investment and could create up to 1000 direct jobs.
The Grimsby River Terminal represents an investment of £26 million and allows large car-carrying ships to berth outside the Port’s lock system. This development confirms the Port’s position as the UK’s leading automotive handling facility.
More than the equivalent of 1million teus (twenty foot equivalent unit) of unitised trade is shipped through ABP Humber ports.
Ro-ro and container traffic represents more than 30 sailings a week to Europe, Scandinavia the Baltic and beyond.
The Humber ports handle more than 70 freight train movements per day.
Goole is situated 50 miles upriver and is the UK’s premier inland port. It handles over two million tonnes of cargo annually.
