'Applicants are spoilt for choice’

IT IS no surprise to Sabina Botti, Cape Town branch manager of freight personnel consultants, Lee Botti and Associates, to keep hearing of the massive skills shortage in the freight industry. “It’s currently an employee’s market,” she added, “where applicants are spoilt for choice from an array of positions available. “However, at the same time, the lack of skills can make it difficult to secure that ideal job – and this is where we are seeing a greater need for training, development and mentoring to find a balance.” The agency has also been trying to overcome this skills shortage with its temporary staffing division, Temp Alternatives. “They have been recruiting on potential in order to solve the client's problem,” Botti said. “We see an influx of vacancies, with few skilled candidates to choose from and this gap exists to address the skills shortage.” It also allows the temp staff to keep up-to-date with industry trends by remaining in the shipping sector, and promises good employment potential. “The conversion ratio of temp to permanent placement is high,” said Botti, “as the client is able to observe the individual in the workplace and assess their response to training and their ability to cope in the pressurised world of shipping, before committing to a permanent position.” The freight industry also offers potential for graduate candidates – no matter how lacking they are in experience. “Many companies offer excellent graduate trainee programmes where candidates are exposed to each division of the company, and job-shadow with top employees to see how it’s done,” Botti said. For raw graduate students, a number of employers are offering what can be termed a probationary contract, according to Botti. “Often employers are open to the idea of taking on voluntary staff who are fresh from university or college, and are looking to gain practical experience after completing their shipping/logistics studies,” she said. “These contracts can last for three to six months and provide a platform to work from.” Lee Botti & Associates also regularly gives informal talks at well known colleges to guide the graduates on what type of positions they can expect to secure in shipping. "It prepares them for the working world that awaits them.”