Pictured: Finalists of the Apprentice of the Year category at the 2024 BIFA Freight Service Awards
National Apprenticeship Week starts today (Monday 10 February) and finishes on Sunday 16 February, and BIFA is hosting online events on 12 and 13 February with sessions for employees and employers.
The first session on 12 February is called “Ask an ex-apprentice”, featuring five employees who have completed apprenticeships within the last 10 years.
They will share advice, experience and showcase industry opportunities, then will answer questions from the audience.
The second event on 13 February, “Navigating the apprenticeship landscape”, is aimed at employers and will explore standards available in transport and logistics, how to find non-logistics apprenticeships and how levy funds can be used to upskill existing staff using management apprenticeships.
Carl Hobbis, Member Services Director at BIFA, says, “Most of BIFA’s members are SMEs and may be nervous about apprentice recruitment. So, during National Apprenticeship Week, BIFA wants to share its own experience of employing its first two apprentices to help guide and reassure members about the process involved.”
He says that 1,300 apprentices have taken the International Freight Forwarding specialist apprenticeship pathway but only 146 have started the specialist pathway in the last 12 months, the lowest number since 2018.
Hobbis says the events aim to show members that apprenticeships are not a minefield and the pathway is an effective method of attracting fresh talent.
He says, “It is vital to continue to recruit apprentices and build capacity to start equipping a new generation with the knowledge and skills to face the challenges ahead. We are at an important crossroads, and we must protect the future of the sector, which has an ageing employee dynamic and needs an influx of new blood.”
Steve Parker, Director General of BIFA, says, “We have had an apprenticeship standard for international freight forwarding for eight years and the sector continues to be in the spotlight as a result of the current supply chain disruptions. So, what a great time to give someone an opportunity of a career in freight forwarding and logistics.”