Training for Trainers Course

“Short Sea Shipping, Motorways of the Sea and e-freight”In the framework of Optimed, the ENPI-funded program, a course in “short sea shipping, the motorways of the sea and e-freight”, took place in Barcelona during the week of 16th February.

This course, organized by the European School of Short Sea Shipping (2E3S) together with the Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon (CCIA-BML) and with the collaboration of the Port of Barcelona, Portic Barcelona, Grimaldi Lines, CILSA-ZAL,Setram, Neutral Cargo and 2E3S’s external experts, aimed to create future teachers of intermodal transport.

The course made possible to participants coming from Lebanon, Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt to better understand the operations of European short sea shipping routes, making possible a future widespread dissemination of this knowledge on the next generations of transport and logistics professionals from EU’s neighboring countries.

In recent decades not enough emphasis has been put on the importance of training in transport and logistics management. The reasons for this are various – and include lack of appropriate programs  and cost. Nevertheless today there is a growing need for new education and training programs for both students and professionals, focusing on the logistical requirements of intermodal EU or extra-EU transport operations. Technological incompatibilities between the systems in different countries hinder the creation of efficient and environmental logistics chains – and added with the ignorance of a large portion of the actors across the Mediterranean on the uses and benefits of intermodal transport – stop the growth of an effective and resourceful trade network. By promoting the creation of more focused educational programs, the training course for trainers will hopefully be able to change this situation and optimise the current modalities.

The course attendees have indeed benefited from the knowledge gleamed from the training, which also made them reflect on the potential impact that intermodal transport could have on the transport situation in their respective countries.