Buy-in from local freight industry welcomed KEVIN MAYHEW THE COMMERCIAL Advancement Training Scheme (CATS), which was introduced in Namibia to improve training within the transport and freight industry, has made significant strides in its first 18 months. Coordinator of the programme and project manager for Manica Group in Walvis Bay, Patrick Kohlstaedt, said that the buy-in by the Namibian freight industry had been fantastic and they were pleased with the evolution of CATS. Initiated by the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) – the multi-disciplined public and private sector representative body promoting the freight capacity of Namibia as an international gateway to world markets – the programme was introduced with financial assistance from the German institute, INWENT, in conjunction with the Polytechnic of Namibia two years ago. “We have 31 trainees in the programme and have received further funding from Germany but we are confident that it will be self-funding through the local industry soon,” says Kohlstaedt. Its intention is to centralise training to avoid wasteful duplication while at the same time raising the level of freight-related competency to a standard that will make the corridor efficient and costs-effective in relation to its southern African rivals.
