Haiti: Building sustainable port skills
On 6 October 2026, UNCTAD’s TrainForTrade Port Management Programme reported on Module 4 of the Modern Port Management course for Haiti’s third cycle of port community trainees. The module, “Challenges of Sustainable Ports,” was delivered by national port experts certified by UNCTAD. Sessions took place in Port au Prince from 5 to 9 October and were scheduled in Cap Haïtien from 12 to 16 October.
The course forms part of a 280 hour programme that spans about two years. It consists of eight one week modules delivered every two to three months. UNCTAD reported that the group included 26 middle port managers, 17 of them women.
What it says
The Haiti programme combines instruction with work grounded in port community needs. At the end of the cycle, trainees prepare business reports based on a real problem or opportunity in their port community. They then defend their theses before a jury of international experts from the TrainForTrade network.
The course structure connects the sessions to a longer learning pathway. Eight modules, spaced over about two years, give trainees time to build knowledge across different areas of port management. The final reports ask them to apply that learning to a specific issue or opportunity.
UNCTAD’s 6 October report identifies 17 women among the 26 middle port managers in the group. That is a clear participation figure for this programme cohort. It does not, by itself, establish wider outcomes for women’s employment or leadership in the port sector.
What it does not say
The 6 October report does not provide placement outcomes, job or salary figures, investment commitments, or an assessment of port infrastructure condition. It describes the training and its format, not the results of the full course cycle.
Why it matters
Port management is a practical skill set. Port capacity can shape trade and recovery, while the work of managing ports involves decisions across operations, services, and the communities connected to them.
The Haiti course is structured around both instruction and applied work. Its business reports and thesis defenses ask trainees to consider an actual port community problem or opportunity and present their analysis to international experts. That makes the programme more than a one off workshop. It is a professional training pathway built around sustained learning and practical application.
The participation figure also offers a specific view of who is in the room. UNCTAD reports that women make up 17 of the 26 trainees in this group. The notice does not report what participants will do after completing the cycle, so the figure is best understood as a snapshot of participation rather than a measure of later career outcomes.
Kenya: Starting a port management cycle
On 1 October 2026, UNCTAD’s TrainForTrade Port Management Programme announced the launch of the first cycle of its Modern Port Management course for Kenya’s port community. The notice said the first module, on international trade and maritime transport, was scheduled for 19 to 23 October in Kilifi. The training is part of the English speaking network of the Port Management Programme.
The planned cycle is a 280 hour course, with eight one week modules delivered every two to three months over about two years. UNCTAD said national port experts and an international port expert from Ireland would deliver the first module to 20 middle managers.
What it says
The Kenya program is designed to combine training in international trade and maritime transport with practical work. As in Haiti, trainees will prepare business reports based on real problems or opportunities in their port community. They will present and defend their theses before a jury of international experts.
UNCTAD lists several program objectives: strengthening institutional capacity and management efficiency at ports, promoting public private partnerships, enhancing port competitiveness, and improving environmental sustainability and social responsibility. The notice describes the programm’s aims; it does not report that these outcomes have already been achieved.
A two year course can provide a continuing structure for professional learning. The eight modules are planned at intervals of two to three months, with the first focused on international trade and maritime transport. The course also expects trainees to connect their learning to issues in their own port community.
What it does not say
The 1 October notice does not provide staffing plans, investment figures, or trade volume projections. It also gives no gender breakdown for the 20 trainees. No participation figure by gender is stated.
The dates distinguish the announcement from the planned delivery. UNCTAD published the notice on 1 October, while the first module was scheduled for 19 to 23 October. The announcement therefore introduced the training cycle before its first module was due to begin.
Why it matters
Port management depends on people who can connect trade knowledge with the day to day work of port communities. Training in international trade and maritime transport gives the Kenya cohort a shared foundation, while the reports and thesis defenses are intended to apply learning to real local questions.
The format also signals a sustained investment in skills development. Rather than concentrating activity in a single short session, the program is planned as 280 hours across eight modules over about two years. The course objectives include institutional capacity, management efficiency, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
UNCTAD describes Mombasa as a regional trade gateway. In that context, management capacity is part of the wider infrastructure that supports trade. The Kenya program sets out a way to develop that capacity through a structured course and applied projects. The notice does not offer trade forecasts or investment figures, so its contribution is best understood through the training model and objectives it describes.
Also this week
No other major mobility announcements surfaced in the window from 1 to 7 October 2026.
Women in the picture
UNCTAD reports that 17 of the 26 trainees in the Haiti program are women. The Kenya notice gives no participation breakdown for its 20 trainees.
Further reading
The two UNCTAD notices describe different stages of port management training: a sustainable ports module underway in Haiti and a first course cycle announced for Kenya. Both programs include applied work tied to port community needs.
The Week of 8 October edition is already live in The Daily Current rotation at Women of Climate.
What can applied training reveal about the skills port communities need?