UK freight forwarder association bifa has urged its members to consider recruiting apprentices ahead of National Apprentice Week despite the current market uncertainty, reports London's Air Cargo News.
To help drum up support, the association will on February 8 run an online event to help members navigate the 'perceived red tape' when recruiting apprentices.
'Most of the trade association's members are SMEs and may be nervous about apprentice recruitment,' BIFA said. 'So [we want] to share [our] own experience of employing [our] first two apprentices to help guide and reassure members about the processes involved.'
BIFA also pointed out that it had helped create the International Freight Forwarding apprenticeship programme, which would also assist members.
BIFA member services director Carl Hobbis, who has responsibility for the trade association's training and development programme, said: 'More than 1,000 apprentices have already started the pathway, with great success.
'However, the 184 apprentices that have started the International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship during the last 12 months, represents a reduction of 27 per cent, year on year.
'Forwarding businesses have many difficult commercial decisions to make, but shelving apprenticeships should not be one of them.'
SeaNews Turkey
To help drum up support, the association will on February 8 run an online event to help members navigate the 'perceived red tape' when recruiting apprentices.
'Most of the trade association's members are SMEs and may be nervous about apprentice recruitment,' BIFA said. 'So [we want] to share [our] own experience of employing [our] first two apprentices to help guide and reassure members about the processes involved.'
BIFA also pointed out that it had helped create the International Freight Forwarding apprenticeship programme, which would also assist members.
BIFA member services director Carl Hobbis, who has responsibility for the trade association's training and development programme, said: 'More than 1,000 apprentices have already started the pathway, with great success.
'However, the 184 apprentices that have started the International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship during the last 12 months, represents a reduction of 27 per cent, year on year.
'Forwarding businesses have many difficult commercial decisions to make, but shelving apprenticeships should not be one of them.'
SeaNews Turkey
