The Alfaship shipping agency group is taking a qualitative leap in its strategy to establish a presence in the Mid-Atlantic by partnering with Ecca and the Las Palmas Ports Foundation to develop an in-house talent pipeline for the maritime business. The company has signed a three-way agreement aimed at training technical professionals in the management of port operations and services, a niche shaped by the growing complexity of customs procedures and the rebound in shipping traffic at the port of Las Palmas. No commercial negotiations have been conducted with the parties mentioned in preparing this report.
The company’s training initiative is being delivered through its education division, Alfaship Academy, and its shipping agency, Alfaship Shipping Agency. The company’s executive team — led by Antonio Castañeda as head of the agency, Cristina de Lorenzo-Cáceres at the helm of the academy and Iryna Krasnikova as commercial director — formalized the partnership with Beatriz Calzada Ojeda, president of the Port Authority and its foundation, and Gorety Almeida Hernández, director general of ecca.edu.
The initiative includes a 60-hour program using a blended learning approach, designed to shorten new professionals’ learning curve directly at the facilities of the Port of Las Palmas. The curriculum covers key operational aspects of the day-to-day work of shipping agencies, including the handling of the Single Call Document (DUE), customs operations, terminal management, the stevedoring business and proficiency in maritime English.
The program includes an in-person practical phase focused on the real-world handling of vessel calls and the clearance of goods at the docks in the capital of Gran Canaria. The Las Palmas Ports Foundation will complement the technical instruction with guided tours of the port and forums providing direct contact between students and the operating companies at the Atlantic gateway.
Alfaship’s direct involvement responds to the need in the shipping agency and logistics sector to recruit qualified middle-management personnel capable of addressing the operational density of the island hub. By linking its corporate structure to an e-learning platform combined with practical workshops, the company is ensuring a steady flow of personnel trained in administrative procedures and onshore technical management. The move strengthens Alfaship’s position within the Las Palmas port community, an environment in which speed in clearing vessels and knowledge of customs regulations represent distinctive competitive advantages when dealing with major intercontinental shipping lines.
The article Alfaship enters Canary Islands port training to build a pipeline of technical managers was first published on canarymaritime.com.
