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apprentices per annum. The new


apprenticeship will be overseen by the National Apprenticeship Council, while the further education and training authority SOLAS is the lead agency responsible for apprenticeship on behalf of Government, working in close partnership with the Higher Education Authority, Quality and Qualifications Ireland, industry and education and training providers across further and higher education. SOLAS’ responsibility includes maintenance of a national register of employers approved to take on apprentices and a national register of apprentices. The guidance for employers


is to support apprenticeship programmes (which must be industry led) by mapping positions and people into positions that fit in with available apprenticeships. If they are not there yet share your requirements with key stakeholders including SOLAS


Issue 2 2018 - FBJ


and trade associations. For school leavers and prospective employees we recommend that you research the logistics and freight sector and consider it


as a destination for your


enthusiasm, passion and career development. For schools, councillors link in with key stakeholders in the industry to offer you guidance and knowledge of an industry that can then be shared with your students. Apprenticeships are a great


opportunity and offer viable solutions to help add value and direction for


the participant.


Apprenticeships help form a culture of progression within industry that will ultimately result in a better skilled workforce. As George Bernard Shaw once


said: “Progress is impossible without change and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” For more information


on the Logistics Associate Apprenticeship visit www.laa.ie or email aflynn@ſtai.ie


Strong start for new apprenticeship


Uptake of the new has been very strong, says IIFA’s Tom Thornton. IIFA is also making efforts to get


the industry on the educationalists’ agenda, including encouraging firms in the industry to take on ‘Transition Year’ students on work


placements. The Irish Transition Year is in effect a gap year between the completion of the Junior Certificate, typically taken at age 15 and the Leaving Certificate for 17-18 year olds, in which students work around a day a week for their


chosen firm. IIFA is also engaging with


career guidance teachers to raise awareness of the freight industry which, he readily admits, “is not on anyone’s radar at the moment.” While most people who work in the


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industry do enjoy it, the frustration is that it’s still far from being every Irish school-leaver’s automatic choice of career. However, with other matters


such as the new terms and conditions dealt with, “education is back at the top of FIATA’s agenda,” says Thornton.


Want to get ahead? Get an IIFA diploma


The Irish International Freight Association (IIFA) hosted a dual celebration on 12 September for graduation of the 2017-1818 IIFA FIATA Diploma class group and the tenth anniversary of the FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding through IIFA. Some 31 participants from the


group became FIATA diploma holders on the night, which also featured guest speakers from previous FIATA diploma class groups. Gabbie White, director,


global logistics at Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sinead Wheatley, key account manager at Kuehne & Nagel Ireland and


Glen Warnock, chief executive of Emerald Freight


Express


shared their experiences of their training and described what further education has done for them and what their careers have been like since. IIFA president Bob Rainsford


congratulated the new graduates (and those previous graduates who attended on the night) describing them as “the future of


the industry”.


He pointed out that diploma graduates have progressed to become owners of IIFA member companies, managing directors of multinationals, logistic managers or involved


in specialised areas such as customs and trade compliance coordination. Other graduates represented


IIFA in the annual FIATA Young International Freight Forwarder of the Year competition and closer to home, IIFA has seen three become presidents and a vice-president of IIFA. Bob Rainsford also praised


IIFA secretariat Seamus Kavanagh and Grainne Thornbury for their work in making the Irish FIATA diploma a “stand out” qualification. Ireland was among


the


national associations to offer this training online and was


the first to deliver training


internationally, to a US Marine based in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2016. Also celebrated on the night


was Philip Thornton of Wells Cargo Logistics who, as a fourth year student completing work experience in the industry over the past year, undertook the full FIATA Diploma course as a project during his transition year in Secondary School. He is reportedly the youngest


FIATA diploma-holder in the world. Ireland also is said to have


the highest per-capita intake for the FIATA diploma.


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