SA skills very marketable
overseas, writes Alan Peat
THE DREADED “brain drain” is also affecting the freight industry - as members of the SA trade depart for overseas.
“There are considerable numbers leaving SA,” said employment consultant, Lynn Ribton-Turner of Ribton-Turner & Associates, “mostly heading for the UK.”
Not that its quite that easy, she added. Work permits still remain a problem, and many of the departures have been by those already holding British passports.
“But the UK companies I deal with are keen to see senior CVs from SA,” Ribton-Turner told FTW, “and there certainly appears to be a skills shortage in that country.”
South Africans are very marketable overseas, according to Lee Botti of Lee Botti & Associates.
“They are regarded as being hard-working and versatile,” she said, “and also competitive in their salary requirements.”
According to information released to FTW by Bottis UK recruitment agent, Diane Cleaver, group m.d. of Forward Prospects, SA sales staff are certainly placeable. “Especially if they have sold both the import and export concepts,” she said.
“Sales people are also employed by UK forwarders who are trading with SA.”
Cleaver also highlights a need for clearing operational staff. “They are not hampered by having no experience in ASM 2000 or Chief computer system - used for automatic clearances with UK customs,” she told FTW.
Indeed, with that UK skills shortage, a lot of local candidates are on a middle management level, Cleaver added.
“It normally takes a candidate about three weeks to negotiate a position,” she said, “and sometimes two visits to the UK.
“They would obviously also have a broader choice if they considered locating to the Midlands and the North of the country.”
