“get fuelled”: Welcoming and Inspiring a new generation of bunker traders to KPI OceanConnect
As one of the most trusted partners in the marine energy sector, we’re proud to have officially launched our first “get fuelled” training programme this September. Fifteen new KPI OceanConnect traders arrived in Denmark to meet their peers, learn more about the bunkering industry and develop their careers as KPI OceanConnect traders.
The shipping industry is going through a period of rapid change as it tests and launches innovative solutions to deliver an energy transition driven by regulations and customer demand, and it needs to attract younger generations of traders to capture their fresh and passionate perspectives and build towards a more sustainable future.
Our “get fuelled” trainee programme lasts two years and offers tailored training to expand participants’ knowledge of marine fuels and shipping. New recruits to our offices around the world from Asia to the US, are enrolled on the programme as part of their development as a KPI OceanConnect professional.
Jasmin Rask Hansen is one of our trainees from Middelfart office and she said: “I have been always passionate about sustainability and when I first heard about how the maritime industry is embracing technology to deliver a more sustainable industry, it sparked a deep desire in me to get involved and learn more. The “get fuelled” programme was the perfect opportunity to get involved in some of the sector’s most innovative low-carbon ideas.”
The trainees were on placement in Denmark from 16th to 27th September. For the first few days of their placement, they were able to socialise and get to know each other. A variety of activities, including an escape room experience and paddle games allowed them to build stronger bonds and form an international team.
Tom Kingham, from our office in London, commented: “It was great to have the opportunity to participate in activities for our career growth but also self-development. Over the first few days in Denmark the activities helped me to build bonds with the others and brought us together as a team. I hope it will help us to share our experiences in the coming months when we go back to our offices.”
The 15 candidates attended a week of seminars at the Danish Shipping Academy (DSA) as part of the “get fuelled” programme. Trainees attended sessions to learn about and discuss many aspects of the shipping industry from law and regulation to economics, fuel supply and the sector’s role in the supply chain. The week studying at the academy is part of the first module on a path to achieving a Bunker Trader degree at the end of our two-year programme.
Following their time at the DSA in Copenhagen, the trainees relocated for a week to KPI OceanConnect’s offices in Middelfart, Denmark. Here they received internal trainings to learn about bunker history, effective trading practices and the values of KPI OceanConnect. As part of the process, trainees played KPI OceanConnect’s own “get fuelled Bunker Game”, developed in-house to give a real feeling and understanding of how trading works.
Our inspiring new trainee traders have taken home valuable experiences from social activities, first-hand training and educational materials. For the next few months, they will get to apply their new skills and continue their development in their home offices supported by colleagues and the DSA, before returning to Denmark to complete Module 2 in person in March 2024 and then head off to work on a rotation in placements at KPI OceanConnect’s offices worldwide. We’re looking forward to seeing what these young talents bring to shipping’s energy transition.
Patrick Hoé, Managing Director at KPI OceanConnect, added: “We were very pleased to welcome all our “get fuelled” trainees to Denmark in September. The past few weeks have been very exciting working with a new generation of traders at KPI OceanConnect and helping them to learn about our business and our sector. We always planned for this initiative to help individuals develop their resources as traders and accelerate their learning. We are proud to have seen this come to life in recent weeks.”
You can read more about our programme via the link below: https://kpioceanconnect.com/get-fuelled/
