Last night, ABP, the UK’s leading ports group, won two categories in the prestigious Maritime UK Awards – ‘Employer of the Year’ and ‘Maritime 2050’, at a ceremony in Hull, fittingly the home of one of ABP’s strategic Humber ports.
This recognition by Maritime UK – the collective voice for the UK’s maritime industries – follows a number of significant steps taken by the company to empower employees and create a great place to work as well as ABP taking a leading role in delivering the objectives of the Maritime 2050 Strategy.
As a leading employer, ABP is committed to supporting the upskilling of employees as it continues to invest in broadening the scope of courses offered by its in-house training provider, the ABP Academy. The academy now offers a host of innovate training formats, including Virtual Reality (VR) safety training and an immersive theatre-style safety course called Thrive.
Kerry Thompson, Head of ABP Academy, said: “Having the in-house capabilities to upskill colleagues is a truly valuable resource because it allows us to be more responsive to their needs and quickly identify and address any skill gaps.
“We are also able to work together to test different training formats in the quest to find the most effective ways to equip our colleagues the knowledge they need to keep Britain trading sustainably.”
Most recently, ABP became the world’s first IEMA- accredited training provider in the port sector, showing its commitment to delivering first-class environmental training for its employees. This will help equip ABP’s workforce with the skills needed to deliver the company’s sustainability strategy, Ready for Tomorrow, which was launched in February 2023. The fact-based, comprehensive sustainability strategy sets a net zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and was the culmination of teamwork and ideas generated across all levels of the organisation.
ABP is also committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, supporting a workforce of skilled, diverse and committed individuals, who can work in an inclusive environment in which all our colleagues are valued and treated equally so they can perform at their best.
Alison Rumsey, ABP Chief Human Resource Officer, said: “We strive to create a great place to work for our colleagues, and in particular, to look after their physical safety and financial and mental wellbeing. We are very proud to receive this recognition from the wider maritime industry.
“During the past couple of years, we have implemented a range of improvements to enhance employee well-being, from introducing mental health first aiders, implementing a wide range of safety training, increasing our range of employee rewards and launching our employee diversity networks in 2020.”
In relation to delivering the objectives of the Maritime 2050 Strategy, ABP has also made significant progress. It has delivered on the Freeports commitment, as the industry leader in the Solent and Humber and a partner with Liverpool City Region and Plymouth Freeports. Furthermore, ABP is investing to support growth in decarbonisation technologies, including trade in hydrogen, ammonia, sequestrated carbon, nuclear and alternative fuels. Infrastructure investment is also helping decarbonise port operations, with onsite renewable energy projects at 17 of our 21 ports.
In 2022, the Port of Southampton saw the successful commissioning and use of its shore power facility for cruise ships, a first for the UK. ABP is investing in people and working to attract new and diverse talent into the sector; the ABP Academy has continued to build on the range of courses available to colleagues, from practical skills, safety and IT to leadership and mentoring.
Collaboration with Maritime UK and government has been key to successful campaigns promoting the sector. Since becoming the first British port to install a private 5G network in Southampton, further investment in technology and innovation has driven digitalisation and operational efficiency for customers. Reducing the impact of port operations on the environment is a priority and in 2021 all 21 ABP ports gained an ISO 140001 Certification in Environmental Management.
Simon Bird, ABP Humber Regional Director, commented: “It is fantastic to see ABP being recognised in two categories at the Maritime UK Awards, highlighting the key role we play in leading positive change in the ports industry and beyond.
“Our ports on the Humber, play a vital role in supporting the UK energy transition towards Net Zero, supporting green energy infrastructure projects such as Green Port Hull and carbon capture and storage the first large-scale green hydrogen production plant in Immingham.”
