Forth Ports hosted its annual awards celebration to recognise the achievements of their talented apprentices across the business. The joint event, which was held simultaneously in Grangemouth and in Tilbury, acknowledged the value the current apprentices contribute and celebrated their achievements.

Forth Ports has also launched its emerging talent campaign with 26 exciting opportunities available across their UK ports offering 22 apprenticeships and four graduate roles across the business.

The annual awards recognised 14 apprentices from across the group who successfully completed their apprenticeships and who have now transitioned into permanent positions, adding to Forth Ports’ 95% apprentice retention record. In addition, two individual apprentices received the prestigious Apprentice of the Year award.

In Scotland, Declan Swan, 19, was named Apprentice of the Year. Declan, a former student at Lornshill Academy in Tullibody, joined Forth Ports in 2025 as an Apprentice Customer Service Administrator in Grangemouth and is currently working to achieve his Modern Apprenticeship in Freight Logistics. Declan was awarded the Apprentice of the Year award as he has integrated extremely well with his team and is an excellent addition to the business.  Declan is not afraid to take on additional tasks to support the team and is keen to assist the Learning and Development team at events and visits.

In Tilbury, Billy Earey, 20, was awarded Apprentice of the Year. Billy is a first-year apprentice working at the port’s busy London Container Terminal which handles cargo from around the world. Billy received the accolade as a result of his strong commitment, enthusiasm and ownership of his learning while, at the same time, positively influencing those around him.

Shaun Wood, Operations Director, Port of Tilbury said: “Emerging talent roles are a crucial part of our current and future business. Many congratulations to Billy, he has shown great progress and commitment which positions him strongly for continued growth and long-term success with our business. I also want to congratulate all of this year’s apprentices who have successfully completed their Apprenticeship Qualification, and we wish them all well in their career journey.”

Derek Knox, Regional Director, Scotland said: “Our apprenticeship and graduate programmes at Forth Ports really do equip people with the skills necessary for career success and also for personal development which contributes not only to the success of our business and the wider communities we serve. My congratulations to all of the successful apprentices this year and of course to Declan Swan on his Apprentice of the Year achievement, this is well deserved and we will watch his career with interest.”

Forth Ports launches its emerging talent role search with 26 roles available across their UK ports marking the businesses’ largest intake of Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) as part of the drive to build its future workforce and upskill the current team.

22 apprenticeship roles are being offered across a variety of business areas including Warehouse Operations, IT, Facilities Management, Engineering, Marine, and Admin. The four new graduates across Business Intelligence, Hydrographic Surveying, Operations and Infrastructure Engineering. [Note: link to careers page here: https://www.forthports.co.uk/careers/]

Natalie Dalgleish, Head of Learning & Development at Forth Ports said: “The Learning and Development team see first hand the real impact that apprenticeships deliver by unlocking potential, developing lifelong skills, and creating opportunities for growth. Of course, at Forth Ports, apprenticeships are not exclusively for young people at the start of their careers, they can be valuable for people at any stage of their careers as they look to upskill, reskill, and explore new opportunities.”

Forth Ports commitment to nurturing emerging talent was cemented in 2025 when the business was awarded a Gold accreditation of the 5% club*, which highlights their strong focus on employees at the start of their careers as well as continuous learning and professional growth throughout the business.

Closing date for applying is 6 March 2026 For more about careers at Forth Ports and the current vacancies, go to: https://www.forthports.co.uk/careers/