ABP’s sustainability and employee development efforts earn top honors at Maritime UK Awards

Top Left: ABP’s Chief HR Officer, Alison Rumsey collects ‘Employer of the Year’ Award.
Bottom Right: ABP Humber Regional Director, Simon Bird, collects ‘Maritime 2050’ Award.

(IN BRIEF) ABP, the UK’s leading ports group, won two awards at the Maritime UK Awards – ‘Employer of the Year’ and ‘Maritime 2050’. The awards recognized ABP’s commitment to empowering its employees, promoting diversity and inclusion, and delivering the objectives of the Maritime 2050 Strategy. ABP invests in upskilling its employees and offering innovative training formats through its in-house training provider, the ABP Academy. ABP’s sustainability strategy, Ready for Tomorrow, sets a net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. ABP is investing in decarbonisation technologies and attracting new and diverse talent to the sector. The company also gained an ISO 140001 Certification in Environmental Management across all 21 of its ports in 2021.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 10-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — The UK’s leading and best-connected port owner and operator, Associated British Ports (ABP), announces that it was awarded two categories at the Maritime UK Awards – Employer of the Year and Maritime 2050. The awards ceremony took place in Hull, the home of one of ABP’s strategic Humber ports. Maritime UK, the collective voice for the UK’s maritime industries, recognized ABP’s significant steps to empower employees and create a great place to work, as well as ABP’s leading role in delivering the objectives of the Maritime 2050 Strategy.

ABP is committed to upskilling its employees and investing in the ABP Academy, its in-house training provider that offers a host of innovative training formats, including Virtual Reality (VR) safety training and an immersive theatre-style safety course called Thrive. ABP Academy is also the world’s first IEMA-accredited training provider in the port sector, reflecting ABP’s commitment to delivering first-class environmental training for its employees.

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.”

ABP’s sustainability strategy, Ready for Tomorrow, was launched in February 2023, setting a net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. ABP is also committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and supporting a workforce of skilled, diverse, and committed individuals who can work in an inclusive environment where all colleagues are valued and treated equally.

ABP has made significant progress in delivering the objectives of the Maritime 2050 Strategy, including delivering on the Freeports commitment in the Solent and Humber, investing in decarbonisation technologies, and infrastructure investment to help decarbonise port operations. In 2022, the Port of Southampton successfully commissioned and used its shore power facility for cruise ships, a first for the UK. ABP is investing in people and attracting new and diverse talent into the sector.

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.”

ABP’s collaboration with Maritime UK and government has been key to successful campaigns promoting the sector, driving digitalisation and operational efficiency for customers. All 21 ABP ports gained an ISO 140001 Certification in Environmental Management in 2021.

ABP’s recognition at the Maritime UK Awards highlights the company’s commitment to sustainability, employee development, diversity and inclusion, and delivering the objectives of the Maritime 2050 Strategy.

Tim Morris, ABP Head of Corporate Communications, said: “We are thrilled to win this award, which recognises the fantastic work untaken by ABP to deliver real progress on Maritime 2050’s strategic ambitions on trade, infrastructure, technology, people and the environment.

“ABP’s mission, keeping Britain trading, remains critical as we work to enhance the UK’s trade resilience, enable economic growth, and build the sustainable supply chains of the future.”

ABP is always looking for talented individuals to make it their port of call and help us deliver green economic growth for the UK. More information about the group’s latest vacancies can be found here.

Media contacts:

Tim Morris
Head of Corporate Communications
tim.morris@abports.co.uk
Mob: +44 (0)7850 501 903

Pressiana Naydenova
Corporate Communications Manager
pressiana.naydenova@abports.co.uk
07702900830

SOURCE: Associated British Ports