BIFA and FTA positive about the package of measures unveiled yesterday to scale up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships.
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has welcomed the package of measures unveiled by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer yesterday to scale up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships.
Director general of the trade association that represents UK freight forwarding and logistics companies, Robert Keen, said: “Whilst our members are currently rightly focused on significant business continuity issues, we welcome the additional funding. We are ready to help any of our members that are willing to capitalise on the funding being made available to either recruit apprentices; make traineeships available; or increase training for existing employees.”
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) also welcomed the package of measures. Elizabeth de Jong, policy director at FTA, said: “There is some great news for logistics in the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs. The fortunes of the logistics industry depend on demand being restored in the economy and the measures to boost demand in the hospitality sector gives hope to the supply chain businesses which service them.
“Protecting jobs across our sector must also be a priority, and the job retention bonus will help keep jobs while demand rebuilds across the economy. But while we welcome the increased training of younger people proposed in his speech, we are hoping for further initiatives to re-train those of all ages who have been made redundant.
“FTA has been campaigning for the Apprenticeship Levy to become a Skills Levy which would mean people of all ages could have the right training to meet the needs of our industry.”
As one of the largest providers of freight forwarding and Customs-related training courses, BIFA highlighted that it was currently delivering those courses via video conferencing, due to the Covid-19 crisis preventing face-to-face training. Carl Hobbis, BIFA’s Training Development Manager, said: “Having been actively involved in the creation of an International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship, BIFA has committed to promote its availability since it was introduced in 2018.
“We will continue to encourage employers and potential entrants to consider this apprenticeship as a route into the industry. There is a dedicated area of the BIFA website that can help both employers and potential recruits to better understand apprenticeship opportunities in the freight forwarding industry.”
Keen added: “We will also be reminding our members, than in addition to the finance announced today, last month the government made available an additional £50 million to accelerate growth of the UK’s customs intermediary sector via training, with applications for the new funding being open since the start of this month.”
Source: lloyd’s
