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By Tola Adenubi | Lagos
In line with its industry leadership objectives and in fulfilment of its promises to the Council of Registered Engineers (COREN) at its 2022 Annual Conference, SIFAX Group has kicked off one of its industry capacity development initiatives. 25 young engineering graduates of various universities and polytechnics across the country have recently been inducted into the Graduate Trainee Programme of Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited (PCHS), a subsidiary of SIFAX Group.
The one-year programme will afford the participants the opportunity of practical technical training and mentorship.
Speaking at the induction ceremony held in Lagos, John Jenkins, Managing Director, PCHS, said the programme was launched to address the shortage of competent technical manpower in the country’s maritime industry as well as provide job opportunities for young and competent Nigerian engineering graduates.
“We designed this engineering graduate trainee scheme for two major reasons. First is to open Nigerian young engineering graduates to the immense opportunities that abound in the Nigerian maritime industry.
“We want them to know they can build a long career in maritime. The other reason is that the sector currently needs a new set of young and competent technical hands who can contribute meaningfully to its growth through the deployment of their skills.
“This one-year training will take them through the nitty gritty of the repairs and maintenance of key heavy-duty equipment like rubber tyre gantry (RTG), reach stackers and shore cranes, among others.”
Jenkins urged the participants to take full advantage of the great opportunity extended to them by the company through their commitment and willingness to learn.
In his remarks, Christopher Nnamuah, HR Manager, PCHS, said the scheme would also serve as a succession plan programme to groom the next set of engineers both for the company and the industry at large.
He said: “As a company that is tracking trends in our industry, we have discovered that opportunities abound in the maritime sector but we have low manpower to harness these opportunities. With the support of the management, we have now begun this training with 25 engineering graduates. There is a need to start planning for the future and we know that this set of young trainees will take over from the experienced ones in the nearest future”
Nnamuah further said the company plans to absorb into its workforce the best of the trainees upon the completion of the programme.
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