www.bifa.org


Robert Keen’s Column


BIFAlink


BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 391973. VAT Registration: 216476363)


Director General Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Executive Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Executive Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Training Development Manager Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Administration Controller Jane Robinson j.robinson@bifa.org


Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Robert Keen, Robert Windsor, Mike Jones, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Pawel Jarza


Regional Consultants to BIFA Scotland and the Borders Len Hobbs: bifa.scot@gmail.com Northern Ireland Carson McMullan: carsonconluce@aol.com Midlands and the North Paul Young: youngyes@aol.com London West and the South West Colin Young: young_colin.t21@btinternet.com Anglia, London East and the South East Paul Newman: paul@pnauk.com


Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.


September 2018


Reinvigorating our industry


I received a nice e-mail recently from Tony Sibbles who was the managing director of E.L. Sibbles in Bradford until the company was bought three years ago. Tony has now finished his spell as a consultant and in bidding farewell reflected on the changes he has seen in the last 40 years. Something we see at BIFA is the steady churn of old established names disappearing, yet there is still healthy growth either by start-ups or by acquisition. It is noticeable that many established names cease as the natural heirs pursue different careers away from the family firm.


E.L. Sibbles was one of many BIFA Members that I have visited, and I remember the portrait of the firm’s founder, Tony’s Dad Ted Sibbles, looking down over the


boardroom. Ted Sibbles’ adage was “always treat your staff they way you would want to be treated”, and Tony retires happy that he followed that maxim throughout his career.


Inside this magazine you will find a guide to help BIFA Members navigate the apprenticeship landscape.


Furthermore, if you look on page 8 you can see what we have been doing to reinvigorate our involvement in the development of younger people. BIFA was formed in 1988 and over the following years many of the educational aspects of the forerunner of BIFA (The Institute of Freight Forwarders) were unfortunately diminished. BIFA was still recognised for skill development courses, but changing government policies in relation to funding meant that whenever we tried to position training for financial support we were faced with “moving goalposts”. Following the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy and Trailblazer Apprenticeships there is a renewed focus on developing the next generation of freight forwarders.


Our Training Development Manager, Carl Hobbis, has made a massive impact in this area of BIFA activity.


Since he joined in early 2016, we have assumed control of the BIFA skills training that was previously outsourced and will have two full time trainers by mid-September. Another aspect is the refreshed communication we enjoy with BIFA Members, particularly the Trailblazer group that initiated the Freight Forwarding Apprenticeship standard. We are positioned to support BIFA Members to engage with schools in their local areas. Hopefully BIFA Members will give up some time to attend careers evenings and inform youngsters getting ready to leave school about the great opportunities that forwarding offers. As Carl notes in his article Inspiring the next Generation, the apprentices we have been working with are enthused by the sector and it is clear that there is a great deal of loyalty to the employers who have invested in them.


The new Customs Declaration System (CDS), which is due to replace CHIEF, has raised many questions from


audiences around the UK as we continue our seminars. Our Policy and Compliance team is compiling a list of frequently asked questions as well as the ones that we ourselves have raised with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), and we will of course be offering as much support as we can as the phased handover gets closer. We are still “on the road” with Felixstowe, Southampton and Bristol due soon. Check for details at the BIFA website.


Finally, time to mention the BIFA Awards and a heartfelt plea by me to get your entries in earlier. With the


simplified format, it is quite simple to describe a project or achievement for your firm; however, every year they all seem to arrive at the last minute, giving me worries that we will struggle to put on a show!


We have been lucky to land the services of Dame Kelly Holmes as our host for next January. She is in high demand, so even if you choose not to put in an entry, the BIFA Awards lunch is a great networking day out.


Robert Keen Director General


3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20