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The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has launched a programme called Freight Development Pathway in partnership with recruitment agency Manpower.

The programme aims to identify, attract and train suitable candidates from outside of the sector for career opportunities with BIFA’s freight forwarding and logistics company members

The Freight Development Pathway will give participants a three-week employability programme, plus an introductory freight and customs training course, delivered by BIFA’s team of qualified trainers.

Carl Hobbis, one of BIFA’s executive directors, who also heads the trade association’s training activities, says that the programme is part of a wider initiative to address the recruitment issues facing the sector.

“Partnering with Manpower, we intend that the Freight Development Pathway will create a pool of talent that has little knowledge or experience of the freight sector and help make the delegates work and industry-ready for BIFA members,” he explained.

The programme, administered by Manpower, will include group sessions, weekly one-to-one meetings, as well as employability training to get each participant ready for interview and eventual employment.

BIFA’s team of trainers will also deliver an additional part of the programme that focuses on some of the key aspects of a career in freight forwarding, such as the buyer / seller relationship; documentation; Incoterms 2020; modes of transport; moving goods around the EU; charges, costings, and bookings; consolidation principles; the UK Trade Tariff; classification of goods; procedure codes; duty and VAT calculations; paying HMRC; and customs valuation.

Jason Greaves, director of Manpower, added: “We’re excited to be partnering with BIFA to introduce the Freight Development Pathway, to encourage candidates to consider the freight sector and support them in achieving their career goals.

“Manpower has a track record of successfully supporting candidates into work through innovative workforce solutions like our MyPath programme, which has trained and upskilled thousands of candidates since its launch in 2021. We look forward to applying this expertise to the Freight Development Pathway.”

BIFA is also running a campaign to encourage its members to work with schools to promote careers in logistics, forwarding and the supply chain, and to encourage students to consider them.

The association said this week that the Freight Development Pathway will “help promote careers within the freight and logistics sector to individuals who would not consider this career option otherwise, whatever stage of their career they are at”.

The course will also highlight the available roles within the sector, as well as identify the core values and behaviours required when applying for jobs, and provide advice that may encourage participants to broaden their horizons.

BIFA and Manpower will be hosting a series of 45-minute virtual sessions to introduce the trade association's members to the Freight Development Pathway and explain how their respective businesses can benefit from this partnership. These will take place on 24 November, 1, 8 and 14 December, with further details to be found on the BIFA website at https://www.bifa.org/events

Hobbis concluded: “Industry promotion is one of BIFA’s key roles and part of that is encouraging logistics as a career path. We see career guidance via the Freight Development Pathway as being another important part of that.

“Since the Brexit vote and the onset of the Covid pandemic, the role of the freight sector in global supply chains has been in the news more than ever, so what a great time to encourage someone to consider a career in the sector.

“BIFA’s schools programme, the specific apprenticeship standard for International Freight Forwarding, that the trade association was instrumental in establishing, and now the Freight Development Pathway provide a framework to support our members, and help them to attract new talent to the freight forwarding and logistics industry.”

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