In the Flows magazine on training and careers, we look at how all levels of education are committed to filling bottleneck professions. With even more port-oriented training courses, VTI Zeebrugge is now fully drawing the card of port school.
“We have unique assets because of our location, our history and the good relations with the port companies,” says director Joke Knockaert. The existing courses will be further focused on port machinery, renewable energy and heavy vehicles from September 2023. Our school is in the middle of the port area, has a very good relationship with the port companies and already has a number of targeted courses. Therefore, we have decided to focus even more strongly from September on what makes us unique: the port.”
The Vrij Technisch Instituut (VTI) Zeebrugge has 340 students and is known for, among other things, its truck driver training, for which students come from all over Flanders. “The details of the programme and internships will be done in close consultation and with the support of business association Apzi-Voka. For example, the so-called ‘dual’ training courses consist of two days of lessons and three days of on-the-job practice with remuneration.”
Port vehicles
The first two new training courses come in the Engineering & Maintenance pillar. “Companies have a huge need for technicians and maintenance people. That is why we are expanding from school year 2023-2024 with the training course ‘polyvalent technician port vehicles’ – which we only share with the Municipal Technical Institute (GTI) Beveren – and ‘technician renewable energy’,” Knockaert says.
“In the Transport & Logistics pillar, the ‘organisation & logistics’ course in the second degree is a great success. There are even waiting lists. That is why we are the only school in the region to choose to expand that domain further. There will be two new courses: ‘internal transport driver’ and ‘logistics’ in the third grade. From school year 2024-2025, the automotive technology direction will be strengthened with ‘polyvalent mechanic heavy commercial vehicles’.”
Maritime institute
“For the further future, we are thinking of a third pillar: Port Economics & International Trade. This will then focus more on white-collar workers. Finally, we dream of a fourth pillar Defence & Welfare, from a maritime angle aimed at jobs in the Navy, the Marine Police, the rescue services and in private security.”
For the sake of completeness, VTI Zeebrugge will retain its other directions such as woodworking, roofing and healthcare training for the time being. “We will do integrate aspects of the port in each programme. But the construction courses will stop because interest is declining and you can also take them with colleagues at VTI Brugge,” Knockaert concludes.
