- Some of the inductees in a group photograph with the PCHS HR Manager, Christopher Nnamuah (second left) at the ceremony in Lagos…recently
By Anthony Nwachukwu
As part of its industry capacity development initiatives, SIFAX Group has inducted 25 young engineering graduates from various universities and polytechnics across Nigeria into the graduate trainee programme of its subsidiary, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited (PCHS).
The gesture was in line with its industry leadership objectives, and in fulfilment of its promise to the Council of Registered Engineers (COREN) at its 2022 Annual Conference.
The one-year programme will afford the participants practical technical training and mentorship opportunity opportunities, a statement from the Group Head, Corporate Communications, SIFAX Group, Muyiwa Akande, noted.
Speaking at the induction ceremony in Lagos, the Managing Director of PCHS, John Jenkins, said the programme was launched to address the shortage of competent technical manpower in the country’s maritime industry, and to 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,” he said.
“The other 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.”
Therefore, Jenkins urged the participants to take full advantage of the great opportunity from the company by showing commitment and willingness to learn.
Also, the PCHS HR Manager, Christopher Nnamuah, said the scheme would serve as a succession plan programme to groom the next set of engineers, both for the company and the industry at large.
According to him, “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 disclosed that the company plans to absorb into its workforce the best of the trainees upon completion of the programme.
