USP College Strengthens UK Freeport Skills Ambitions with Strategic Visit to Rotterdam

This month USP College joined a national delegation of Further and Higher Education leaders on an intensive two‑day visit to STC Next in Rotterdam - one of the world’s leading centres for port, logistics, and maritime training.

The visit formed part of the growing FE & HE Freeport Skills Partnership, bringing together colleges and sector specialists focused on shaping a world‑class skills pipeline for the UK’s Freeport network.

Over the two days, partners received a masterclass in how one of the world’s busiest ports attracts, develops, and strengthens its workforce. As highlighted in James Parker’s summary of the visit, the group travelled to “learn from the gold standard” and understand how coordinated education and industry strategies support long‑term economic strength for a major global logistics hub.

The trip provided rare, first‑hand exposure to advanced maritime and logistics training environments, including state‑of‑the‑art simulators and digital training systems.

For USP College, the visit directly supports its leadership role within the Thames Freeport Skills Accelerator work and its long‑standing partnership with STC Rotterdam. Mark Silverman has previously emphasised the importance of this international collaboration, noting the value of combining STC’s globally recognised expertise with USP College’s strengths in immersive learning and digital innovation.

The visit also brought together partners including South Essex College, Suffolk New College, Edinburgh College, Fife College, UHI Inverness, University of Plymouth, Pembrokeshire College and ETC Awards, contributing to a unified national effort to prepare the future workforce for the UK’s logistics, supply chain and maritime sectors.

This strategic collaboration marks another milestone in USP College’s commitment to delivering industry‑aligned, future‑focused education - ensuring learners and employers benefit from expertise drawn from some of the world’s most advanced port training ecosystems.

For parents and potential students, this project is about helping young people gain skills that lead directly to real jobs in industries that are growing across the UK. By working closely with world‑leading training centres such as STC Next in Rotterdam, USP College is shaping training that reflects what major employers in logistics, port operations, green technology and international trade genuinely need. 

This collaboration means the courses we design are practical, future focused and developed with guidance from employers who understand the demands of modern jobs. Students benefit from hands‑on learning, industry informed curriculum and digital tools like virtual reality that help them build confidence before they enter the workplace. In simple terms, this project gives USP College students a strong advantage when they take their first steps into careers that offer stability, progression and long term opportunities.