The overarching topic of the roadshow that the Institute of Customs and Freight Forwarding (ICFF) held in Johannesburg on 11 April, was the current global trade war, its anticipated impact on South Africa and what it will mean for our employees and corporates.
The legislative imperatives the industry is currently facing from Employment Equity, BBBEE and customs licensing, not to mention AEO accreditation, were also discussed at length.
One aspect that became very clear during the discussions was the urgent need to capacitate and upskill our employees to become more effective and efficient in and across the supply chains they are facilitating, with huge emphasis on customs compliance as a risk to business.
If industry is to survive these turbulent times, investment into upskilling and professionalising employees must become a strategic intent for corporates. We have many employees in the industry who are not certified or qualified; we have a mechanism to assist.
In the meantime, we have been networking and collaborating with key individuals in the industry who are very conversant with the proposed amendments to the BBBEE charter and what the new anticipated requirements will be.
We all know what the expectations are as far as Employment Equity is concerned; targets have been set with punitive consequences. Are corporates aware of this and are they ready to address it?
One also needs to ask, when last has the industry seen revised and new qualifications being funded and developed by the SETA? Not to mention revising our industry standards?
We are currently sitting with qualifications from pre-2009, not very comforting to say the least when our mission within the ICFF and the industry is to build and maintain skills and capacity towards professionalization, and to meet legislative imperatives. How do we begin to address these challenges when our entire skills development infrastructure is so outdated and seemingly lacking funds?
Well, here at the ICFF we have designed a Learning & Development strategy that will assist industry in achieving all their training and legislative imperatives, their points on their BBBEE scorecard and Employment Equity requirements, by reinvesting back into industry towards developing and revising industry standards, which will enable us to facilitate the development of qualifications directly with the Quality Council for Trade Occupations.
This all can be achieved whilst achieving BBBEE points on CSI and SED in the process.
The ICFF is here to support the industry, so we urge you to contact us so that we can guide and assist you in achieving all your imperatives.
