News Story

Call for Working Group Members: Training in Ports and Waterways

PIANC CoCom Working Group (WG) 126 "Training in Ports and Waterways" is looking for volunteers to serve on the international working group. Professionals working or teaching in the field of ports and waterways are encouraged to apply to serve as the U.S. Section's Representatives. Please also encourage "Young Professionals" (40 and under) to apply. Working group meetings are usually held twice a year in a participating member nation. Financial limitations preclude PIANC USA from paying or reimbursing a representative's expenses while participating on a working group, so an applicant must have the support of his/her employer. The WG's next meeting is scheduled for late January 2011. For more information or if interested in applying, please contact/send your résumé to Kelly.j.Barnes@usace.army.mil.

Working Group Description:

In Countries in Transition (CiT) there is a pressing need to get specialist training on hydraulic, coastal and structural engineering aspects related to ports and waterways, and in other areas such as environmental, economic and logistical aspects. Many young professionals embarking on careers in port engineering only have basic training as civil engineers and learn the ropes through practical experience. Thus, the need has been identified by PIANC to set up a Working Group on Training, to analyze existing training courses worldwide in the field of ports and waterways, identify gaps in training provision and devise appropriate training programs. An important aspect of training is skill-building of the trainers themselves. In preparation of this Working Group a Task Group is making an inventory of existing courses, which will be available to the Working Group.

Click here for the Terms of Reference (pdf, 88 KB).

Objectives

Prepare a report with an overview of existing (short) courses for professional training in the field of ports and waterways

• Categorized according to main focus area
• Technical
• Environmental
• Economic
• Logistic
• Identifying direct training and train-the-trainer programs
• Listing strengths and weaknesses

Special attention will be given to distant-learning courses as these may be of particular interest to professionals from CiT.

The report will also indicate whether specific areas are not covered by the existing courses (possibly region-specific) and make recommendations on how to improve this.

Membership

The membership is currently

(1) directeur scientifique du Centre d'études techniques marities et fluviales (CETMEF)
(2) Van Oord NV Dredging and Marine Contractors, Engineering Department
(3) Unesco-IHE, Delft, Lecturer in Coastal Engineering and Port development
(4) Head International Affairs Study Division, National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management, Japanese Government
(5) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
(6) Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
(7) Atkins Global
(8) Bremenports

revised 30 December 2010