Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to meet with several employers to discuss the importance of assisting their employees in obtaining professional recognition for their years of experience and knowledge gained.
Many of our industry employees do not have formal qualifications and hence most do not have any recognition of their expertise and knowledge.
We currently find ourselves in a continuously changing environment from compliance to technology, which requires all employees to stay abreast of these changes and their personal development.
Lifelong learning is a phenomenon that has become the norm across every economic sector, and globally. With the changes in technologies, AI and 5IR, it becomes important for us all to stay connected and abreast of those changes, and when one addresses the customs compliance requirements within our environment it becomes clear that compliance is non-negotiable.
Globally, it is a prerequisite that entering the field of freight forwarding, customs and logistics, one must be formally qualified and certified. This is not the case in South Africa.
The Institute of Customs & Freight Forwarding (ICFF) was established by industry to assist the industry employees to achieve recognition and professional designation against industry recognised standards.
However, having interacted with several employees, there appears to be scepticism and fear of having an evaluation done within their specific field of work and experience towards recognition.
At the ICFF, we do not use the terms ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. We evaluate the individual’s proficiency either in customs or freight forwarding, so the outcomes can either be proficient or not yet proficient.
If an employee is found to be not yet proficient, we provide support and guidance on further training, based on the outcome of the evaluation. The detailed evaluation report provides very specific detail on areas of strengths and weakness, which can only assist with focusing on individual areas identified either through mentoring and on the job training, or formal skills programmes in partnership with a recognised training provider.
Employees can develop where required and develop their career paths with confidence.
Employers essentially can focus their training budgets more strategically (and as discussed in previous articles), which ensures return on investment and improvement on supply-chain costs and efficiencies.
It also minimises the risks associated with customs compliance and ensures money is returned to the economy. Each employee is encouraged to embrace their individual development; ensure they stay abreast of industry changes, become a recognised professional and be the change they want to see.
