Busy forwarding sector hands out grants valued at R9.6m

Alan peat
WHILE ONLY a relatively small part of the entire transport sector in SA, the forwarding and clearing chamber of the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA) has been more than busy in the field of training this last financial year.
Figures exclusively released to FTW by the f&c chamber’s executive officer Ingrid de Buisson revealed that the total income for 2003/2004 was over R13.4-million.
Total grants (both discretionary and mandatory) for the year were R9.6-m, and a total number of 4 626 employees were trained. The R3.2-m in approved discretionary grants funded 51 projects and 1 151 learners.
Painting a picture of the chamber’s scope of coverage, De Buisson told FTW that this included f&c companies; ships agents and brokers; international couriers; and importers and exporters - an industry which consists of 398 companies employing approximately 20 000 employees.
“For the 2003/2004 financial year we had 78 companies submitting workplace skills plans,” said De Buisson. “However, this number is expected to increase for this current financial year.”