There is a future in ports, not only out at sea

Soraya Mohamedi · Employment Area Coordinator, Ubuntu Canarias · 9 min read

Port of Las Palmas: cranes, containers, a cargo ship and a worker in a helmet and vest.

The Port of Las Palmas is going through one of its best periods, companies are looking for trained people, and in recent weeks two initiatives have appeared that can open doors: the port’s own job platform and a new course with ecca.edu. In this article I explain what is out there, what jobs exist and where to start.

A port that keeps growing

The Port of Las Palmas is one of the great crossing points of the Atlantic, between Europe, Africa and America. Ships stop here to refuel, move cargo from one ship to another, repair breakdowns, change crews or take on supplies.

A few figures from 2025 show the size of what we are talking about:

The ports run by the Las Palmas Port Authority handled more than 36.5 million tonnes, almost 15% more than the year before. The Port of Las Palmas alone handled 31.8 million.
More than 1.5 million containers (measured in TEU) passed through them, the highest figure since 2011. The OPCSA container terminal passed one million in a single year for the first time.
More than 2 million cruise passengers arrived, for the first time in their history.
In 2024, more than 2.3 million tonnes of fuel were supplied to ships.

In 2026 traffic is holding at similar levels and container numbers are still rising. Behind each of those figures there are people working, on land and in shifts that do not stop at night or at weekends.

Who works in the port

The port is not a single company. It is a community of many different companies sharing the same space. These are the main groups, with some names that often appear in the sector’s news:

Container and cargo terminals: they load and unload ships and organise goods on the quays. For example, OPCSA or the Boluda terminal.
Shipyards and ship repair workshops: they repair and maintain ships from all over the world. For example, Astican, Zamakona Yards, Contratas Metalúrgicas, Feroher or Talleres Sanper.
Shipping lines: passenger and cargo companies such as Fred Olsen, Armas Trasmediterránea or Baleària.
Shipping agencies: they handle everything a ship needs while it is in port. For example, Alfaship.
Ship fuel supply: companies that supply ships, such as Minerva Bunkering.
Port services: towage, mooring, pilotage, cleaning, waste collection or security.
Logistics, transport and customs: warehouses, hauliers and customs clearance companies around the port.
The Port Authority itself, a public body that fills its posts through public selection processes.

Jobs and what they usually ask for

This table is a guide only. Each company sets its own requirements, so always check the specific job offer:

Job	What it involves	What they usually ask for
Warehouse operative	Loads, unloads and organises goods	Compulsory secondary education (ESO). A forklift licence is a plus
Forklift driver	Moves goods with a forklift	Forklift licence or course and experience
Lorry driver	Transports containers and goods	C (or C+E) licence, CAP and tachograph card
Dock worker (stevedore)	Loads and unloads ships at the terminal	Professional certificate in port stevedoring operations and physical aptitude tests
Ship welder, boilermaker, mechanic or electrician	Repairs ships in shipyards and workshops	Vocational training in welding and boilermaking, electromechanical maintenance or electrical work, or proven experience
Shipping agency administrator	Prepares the paperwork for each port call	Vocational training in administration, international trade or transport and logistics. English
Customs and foreign trade technician	Handles goods coming in and going out	Higher vocational training in international trade or transport and logistics
Cruise terminal staff	Looks after passengers and boarding	Languages and customer service experience

Many of these jobs do not require a university degree. What comes up most often is vocational training, a specific licence or certificate and, more and more, English.

Companies say so clearly. At the 2025 CONECTAZUL event, which brought more than 400 vocational students together at the port with shipyards, repair workshops and shipping companies, the president of the Port Authority spoke of the need for qualified profiles and for training to adapt to what the sector needs.

Puerto Emplea: the port’s own job platform

At the end of September 2026, the Port Authority and the Fundación Puertos de Las Palmas launched Puerto Emplea, a digital platform that brings together, in one place, the staffing needs of port companies and the applications of people who want to work there.

It is already up and running. To register, you create a profile with your experience, training, licences and specialisms. If this sector interests you, it is a good first step.

The agreement with ecca.edu: a course to get into the sector

On 8 October 2026, the Fundación Puertos de Las Palmas, ecca.edu (the current name of Radio ECCA) and the shipping agency Alfaship signed an agreement to launch a training programme in Port Operations and Services Management.

It is not the first time the Fundación Puertos has worked with ECCA: back in 2015 they signed an agreement to fund scholarships for Radio ECCA students without resources. I think it is very good news that an adult education organisation with such a strong presence across the islands is now joining port training.

What we know about the course:

60 hours on the ecca.edu online platform, with in-person practicals, seminars, workshops, webinars and maritime English.
Content: international maritime transport, how the Port of Las Palmas works, shipping agency work, port services, logistics, customs, terminals and stevedoring.
It includes a visit to the port and, at the end, a meeting with companies from the port community.
Planned requirements: at least an intermediate vocational qualification and some English. Priority is given to residents of Gran Canaria, although it is not compulsory.
According to the press, places will increase to around 30 and the course will most likely start in early 2027. There will be an enrolment fee, not yet confirmed.
People who finish the course will be able to join the Puerto Emplea job pool.

The course has already had three previous editions with the Gran Canaria Economic Promotion Society (SPEGC). According to the newspaper Atlántico Hoy, about 40% of the students found work, at companies such as Boluda or Hidramar, among others.

For questions, the published contact is academy@alfaship.com. When enrolment opens, we will post it on our training page.

And for migrants?

An international port is, by definition, a place where languages and cultures meet. Ships, crews and companies arrive from everywhere. Speaking French, Arabic, English, Portuguese or an African language, knowing other countries or having lived in different places can be an asset in this sector, especially when combined with training.

It is not a quick or easy path. You need your papers in order, training and, in many cases, to start in entry-level jobs such as warehouse work or cleaning. But it is a sector that is active all year round, does not depend only on tourism and needs people.

Where to start

Register on Puerto Emplea and keep your profile up to date.
Look at the vocational training courses in Gran Canaria in logistics, transport, international trade, welding, maintenance or electrical work.
Get the licences most in demand: forklift or, if you drive, the C licence and CAP.
Improve your English: it is used every day in the port.
Check our weekly job listings. Logistics and warehouse jobs are often the way in.
If you have experience in a trade but no qualification, find out about accreditation of professional skills.

The sea has always connected the Canary Islands with the world. Today it can also be a source of stable work for those who prepare for it, even if they never set foot on a ship.

Sources

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