BIFA premiers U.K.-based freight forwarding apprenticeship program

The British International Freight Association (BIFA), representing U.K.-based forwarders, has finalized its international freight forwarding specialist apprenticeship program, which the organization has been developing in partnership with the U.K. government’s Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) for the last 18 months.

The apprenticeship is intended to serve as “a route into the industry,” for those interested in a career in freight forwarding, BIFA said. To qualify for entrance to the program, contenders must meet the government’s standard of a Level 3 educational foundation.

The structure of the program is divided into three paths — ocean, air and ground — with each path encompassing industry awareness, customs procedures and the development of commercial skills. Industry leaders will serve as mentors to the program’s participants, who were directly involved in the development of the program’s curriculum.

The initiative is also part of a larger effort to address a looming increase in demand for skilled workers in the U.K. logistics industry, said Carl Hobbis, BIFA’s training development manager. “With customs legislation getting more complex, and the unknown landscape post-Brexit, it will be even more important to promote careers in our industry in many ways,” he added. “And there’s no better way than through a relevant apprenticeship, which we now have.”