Successfully combining theory and practice OPPORTUNITIES FOR young, inexperienced people to work for a large multi-national company while gaining experience and networking as they position themselves for future career advancement are few and far between. It’s what the Maersk International Shipping Education (MISE) programme is all about, and it’s working well within South Africa where a number of graduates and new trainees are thriving in Maersk offices around the country. What is MISE? The programme has been running for 30 years and today there are MISE trainees from more than 80 different countries with an annual enrolment of more than 250 new students. It’s a two-year programme that combines practical experience at A.P. Moller-Maersk Group with applied theoretical study, making it an attractive career move for recent college and university graduates. During the MISE programme, practical experience in the trainees’ home countries is combined with four 14-day theoretical modules at the Maersk Shipping Academy in Copenhagen, Denmark. Trainees from around the world meet and study together across different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. “Through these theoretical modules, MISE trainees build networks characterised by international friendship and high-level professional and personal collaboration,” the spokesman said.. Two of the local trainees based in Cape Town, Niell Gopal and Kathy Abbott, have never looked back. Job rotation is key Abbott says that it is the job rotation in particular that appeals to her. “The company supports job rotation as a philosophy which is a big plus as we get to see all aspects of the business,” she says adding that in some organisations such “job hopping” would be frowned upon. Now in her fourth job rotation, she says that she particularly enjoyed her stint in the African Region Systems and Processes department where she began her tenure as a MISE trainee. Presently she is based at Maersk Logistics dealing mainly with reefer cargo. “The beauty of logistics is that you have to deal with a wide spectrum of functions including booking, loading and finally delivery,” she told FTW. Clearly eyeing her job, Gopal says that he would like the opportunity of working more closely to meet the client’s needs and sees Maersk Logistics as an ideal platform from which to do this. Now in his second year of the programme, he has worked through two job rotations. Working as trainees “You need to be flexible and willing to try new things,” says Abbott pointing out that if you have fixed ideas of what type of job you would like to be doing and are unwilling to compromise, then the training programme is not for you. Self-discipline Gopal adds that because you are working and studying at the same time with no provision made for study leave, you also need to be self disciplined. Considering that the trainees enter into an agreement with the organisation that states that The A.P. Moller-Maersk Group has the right to terminate their contract if they fail one exam, but will terminate it if they fail twice - means that this is not just a playground for young people to misuse the opportunity. Trainees learn a range of general subjects including sales techniques, economics, presentation techniques, business ethics, law and investment. In addition they also study subjects that are of particular relevance to the A.P. Moller-Maersk Group including shipping, logistics, terminal management and e-commerce. These subjects are taught by the organisation’s own employees. The combination of internal and external competencies is aimed at creating a high education level with immediate significance to the business. Because trainees are scattered across the globe, e-learning is obviously an important teaching tool. Between the theoretical modules trainees solve cases in a virtual learning space that connects theory to the practical challenges in the trainee’s workday. For more information on Maersk International Shipping Education visit the website at www.mise.edu and learn more about the different career paths.
