The ILO Portworker Development Programme (PDP 2)

Training of Trainers for the ILO Portworker Development Programme (PDP 2)
Cover image © Unsplash/Alex Duffy

The ILO Portworker Development Programme (PDP 2)

27 Outubro–28 Novembro 2025
O curso está disponível em English

27 OCTOBER – 28 NOVEMBER 2025

 

Phase 1: Study of PDP 2 Units (40 hours)

27 October to 14 November 2025

Phase 2 : Training of Trainers (40 hours)

17 to 28 November 2025

Apresentação do curso

The ILO, through the Sectoral Policies Department (SECTOR), promotes decent work by addressing social and labour issues in specific economic sectors, both at international and national levels. In 1994, SECTOR developed the Portworker Development Programme (PDP), a training package for the training of portworkers and their supervisors on safe working conditions and procedures, mainly covering containers operations. It comprises 30 training units (offering around 1000 hours of training) and supportive materials properly tested and validated, that are based on best international practice. These PDP materials should be delivered by specially trained instructors. SECTOR also developed a ILO PDP Chief Instructors' Manual with the purpose of training PDP instructors. In 2018, the ILO developed additional PDP Units covering the Transport, Handling and Storage of Bulk Cargoes and Bulk Terminals (covering iron ore, coal, bulk fertilizer, grain, bauxite and alumina). The Units are collectively known as the PDP 2 Units. The ILO PDP Chief Instructors' Manual has also been subsequently revised to provide the pedagogical and professional knowledge to instructors teaching these PDP 2 Units. The PDP 2 and the revised Chief Instructors' Manual incorporates a more user-friendly electronic format and layout based on recent IT advancement that provides additional advantages to PDP users/PDP instructors. This Training of Trainers (TOT) Course on PDP 2 has been designed in a way that it will not only meet the requirements of new PDP users, but it will also benefit existing PDP licensees. It is therefore highly recommended that existing PDP licensees participate in this Course with at least one of their PDP Instructors, who will then be able to update their fellow PDP instructors and effectively introduce the new PDP 2 materials in their respective organizations. The TOT Course on PDP 2 will enable instructors to deliver port-related training using the new PDP 2 materials. New or potential PDP licensees will be able to train suitable candidates as PDP Instructors. This TOT Course in PDP 2 aims therefore at familiarizing participants in PDP 2 Units and qualifying participants as ILO PDP Instructors. Successful participants in the TOT Course are deemed qualified to teach PDP Units and overtime, and may be qualified by the appropriate National / Organization / Institutional Authority to become Chief Instructor to design and develop further PDP Units and to conduct the TOT Course. ITCILO and SECTOR, thanks to the financial and technical contribution of the Republic of Korea, have decided that the TOT Course be held through appropriate online learning platform as there remains a pressing need for the continuous education of portworkers for the enhancement of their professional knowledge, skills and attitude.

Perfil dos participantes

The course is aimed at:

  • Existing PDP Instructors or Chief Instructors who wish to refresh and upgrade their knowledge and skills using the PDP 2 and revised PDP TOT materials;
  • PDP Chief instructor candidates from new or potential PDP licensees;
  • and/or Personnel with managerial and/or instructional functions in the training of portworkers, belonging to relevant government departments or agencies, port authorities, training institutions, trade unions and private enterprises involved in port management and operations.

The following requirements are therefore essential for admission to this programme:

  • A working knowledge of spoken and written English;
  • The ability to use and access a computer with Internet.
Objectives

The general objective of this course is to strengthen the capacity of the participating countries and institutions to train portworkers on safe working conditions and procedures in the bulk cargo operations by the enhancement of the competences of instructors for the delivery of the PDP 2. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Identify and refer to the ILO port-related standards and guidelines;
  • Analyse the advisable institutional and organizational arrangements for the implementation of the PDP in a port or country;
  • Evaluate the philosophy, nature, form and structure of the PDP materials;
  • Plan, schedule, prepare, present, assess and evaluate PDP instructional sessions;
  • Adapt the contents and select the PDP units into an appropriate scheme of training for particular groups of trainees;
  • Deliver port-related training using the PDP materials; and,
  • Train other instructors using the revised PDP Chief Instructors Manual (2018 edition) and the new PDP 2 materials (2018 edition).
Contents
  • Unit D1.1: Dry Bulk Terminal Operations;
  • Unit D1.2: Transport, Handling and Storage of Iron Ore;
  • Unit D1.3: Transport, Handling and Storage of Coal;
  • Unit D1.4: Transport, Handling and Storage of Bulk Fertilizer;
  • Unit D1.5: Transport, Handling and Storage of Grain;
  • Unit D1.6: Transport, Handling and Storage of Bauxite and Alumina; Unit D4.1: Safe Working in Dry Bulk Terminals;
  • Unit D4.2: Safe Working on Dry Bulk Ships;
  • Unit D5.1: Operations of Quayside Gantry Cranes and Equipment; and, Unit S1.5: Supervision of Dry Bulk Operations.
  • ILO Chief Instructors’ Manual
  • Instructor’s Guide.
Selection of participants

Thanks to the financial collaboration of the Republic of Korea, ILO can finance 25 full fellowships for participants from institutions and organizations from developing countries who fulfil the required participants’ profile and requirements specified above. Fellowships would be assigned on a competitive basis among the candidates applying for them. Interested candidates should apply by filling and submitting the online application formhttps://oarf2.itcilo.org/CST/A9718496/en

To apply for the available fellowships, the filled-in application form should be accompanied by a signed nomination letter from the organization/institution of the candidate, indicating the support to the candidate in terms of the necessary time and the technical resources required to follow the online course sessions. At the end of the course, the performance of the participants will be reported to their organizations / institutions and to the sponsor of the course.

The candidates awarded with one of the available fellowships will be notified before 10 October 2025. Selected candidates will be provided with the instructions for the participation.

The ILO promotes equality of opportunities and strongly encourages women’s applications.

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