Training in the past was insufficient and inefficient, according to Alan Cowell.
Currently, we have a Training Board now in place; funding secured; and the planning stage already well advanced, he said.
We have correspondence courses running; education and training providers being investigated for accreditation; and industry training needs under current assessment. And the future? The development of introductory courses for the clearing and forwarding industry is one priority, according to Cowell. But there is also another primary need, he said. Adult basic education and training (ABET) requirements must be met - to overcome even the most basic literacy problems resulting from the years of imbalance in our educational priorities. Apart from that, Cowell also sees the need for a course to be plotted to stimulate career path development. The ladder to senior management must be climbable, he said. And educational assistance must be available at each rung of the ascent. Another point that Cowell stresses is that of portability of EDT qualifications across maritime industry sectors. We in the forwarding industry are not a singular, peculiar animal, he said. There is overlap of functions throughout the maritime trade, and qualifications must similarly retain an element of universality.
