Saaff leads by example with learnership programme

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (Saaff) will for the first time be offering a learnership in an effort to set an example to the industry. According to Saaff board member Tony D’Almeida, the organisation is applying for a learnership that will involve facilitating the candidate’s theoretical and practical learning. “From a theoretical point of view it will not be difficult, but obviously as an organisation Saaff cannot offer the practical side of the learnership. We will be calling on our members to help us in this regard and to facilitate the practical training.” D’Almeida said the decision to take on the learnership was in order to show members how the learnership system worked and also to set an example to the industry and encourage more learnerships. He said learnerships were an important way for the industry to develop skills and to bring unemployed people into the system. “A company can through Teta offer a learnership without having to keep the person on after the completion of the year’s training. The learner will also be paid through the Teta should the company successfully get a grant.” D’Almeida said it was important for the freight forwarding industry to embrace learning and training as it played an important role in the professionalisation of the industry as a whole. “At the moment we have 108 people enrolled in the Customs Clearing and Forwarding certificate Level 3. Once they have completed that qualification they can do the Level 4 certificate, and with both certificates in hand, can then through Saaff be issued the Fiata Diploma giving them an international qualification.”