A vision for wellrounded higher education

Experiened industry members who have never received a formal qualification in trade or freight forwarding and customs clearing now have the opportunity to study towards a globally recognised qualification. According to Metro Minds managing director Juliette Fourie, one of the critical issues that will dominate the sector in the decade ahead are the Level 3, 4 and 5 qualifications in business admin, financial management, freight forwarding and clearing and supply chain management which can lead up to the Fiata Diploma. “We are also working hard to get newcomers into the industry, fuelling their passion before they even enter the workplace through our new initiatives. Managers in this industry do not have time to do bridging in the workplace. Delegates are expected to hit the ground running. We want to make sure delegates entering the market can already run,” says Fourie. A focus for Metro Minds in the coming decade, she adds, will be to fulfil the role of a private further education college handling higher-level courses. “We plan to provide a supply chain of education from NQF Level 2 to Level 7 in many different subjects, moving towards a wellrounded solution like business, finance, operations and sales.” Fourie also foresees government involvement in skills development continuing.