International trade is vital to the economy of the UK, which is still one the world’s great trading nations. Much of that trade goes through Felixstowe, the UK’s largest container port, which connects British industry with global markets for imports and exports. Yet many international freight forwarders in the East of England struggle to recruit and retain employees with the knowledge and experience to manage the complex documentation.
That’s why Suffolk County Council is delighted to offer new International Freight Forwarding Skills Bootcamps to employers in Suffolk and Norfolk. These are:
One company already taking advantage of these skills bootcamps is Seafast Logistics Ltd (part of the Seafast Group). They specialise in end-to-end logistics for what they call “the 3 Rs” - Refrigerated Cargo, Remote Locations & Humanitarian Relief. We asked Ellena Wright, General Manager of Operations at Seafast’s Felixstowe Mega Distribution Centre, how the training is benefiting her team.
Keeping international trade flowing through Felixstowe in Suffolk
Ellena leads three operational departments in Felixstowe: export deep sea, import deep sea, and EU (which deals with customs clearance and trailers in and out of the UK). There are 30 people in the team and between them they manage around 600 import containers, 2500 export containers and 1000 EU trailers a month. “It’s a huge responsibility to ensure all the documentation is correct for every shipment,” says Ellena, “that takes real expertise and diligence.”
Seafast is keen on recruiting talented people and supporting their growth through the business. “Quite a few of my team are relatively new to the industry,” says Ellena, “around 30% only started with us in the past year and most are under 25. We had been considering in-house training sessions to upskill them, but then we got an email from the British International Freight Association (BIFA).”
The BIFA emailed explained that they had partnered with TRS Training Ltd to create skills bootcamps specifically focused on international freight forwarding. “That was really important to us,” says Ellena, “as many courses are too generic, covering logistics in general but not details like customs procedures, insurance, and the legal responsibilities of freight forwarders. The fact that BIFA also provides some of the training is a real plus because they are recognised industry experts.”
Skills bootcamps designed with needs of the international freight forwarding industry in mind
As TRS’s Managing Director, Kevin Birch, explains, “We are proud to be running our International Freight Forwarding Skills Bootcamp with BIFA, who are delivering two of the five essential modules. That industry stamp of approval demonstrates the value of this training to the import/export sector. We are also the only UK training company delivering this specific course, which is available at a reduced rate to businesses of all sizes thanks to Department for Education funding.”
Ellena agrees that the Skills Bootcamps are exceptional value. “The two modules delivered by BIFA alone – Freight Forwarding Essentials and Customs Essentials – would normally cost more than the entire course if booked separately. They also cover our core business area in detail, including important topics like Incoterms. This makes them great for getting new team members up to speed, while giving us the confidence that they will be following the correct, most current procedures.”
She also considers the other modules as equally essential. “Obviously, the module covering the transporting and handling of dangerous and hazardous materials is critical for safety reasons. However, the customer service and business relationships modules are also great, not just for our business but for our employees’ careers. School and colleges don’t tend to teach these skills, they are not general knowledge either, so it is good to focus them on the needs of our industry clients.
“We are big on recruiting young talent and giving them the skills they need to get ahead. For those employees with more experience, it does no harm to have outside experts remind them of the fundamentals of good business. The final module covering employability skills, including professional behaviour and self-care, is also important if you are keen to progress in leadership roles.”
Funded training that fits in with your busy work schedules
The International Freight Forwarding Skills Bootcamps are intensive, with 60 hours of online training delivered over five weeks (one day a week). “It is hard to find time for training when you are busy,” says Ellena, “so it really helps that these are condensed courses because you can plan in the days and know they won’t run for months. At the same time, it’s really useful to spread the training out a bit like this because employees can immediately start putting into practice what they have learnt.”
Seafast were one of the first companies to book places on the course. “We asked TRS if we could book for seven people, as soon as we saw the BIFA advertisement, but there were limited spaces. Instead, we booked five places in July, and another five in September. We’ve now sent 13 people on the course, and they all appreciate the knowledge they’ve gained and the clear explanations of complex issues.
“Trade rules around the world are always changing, so it’s vital to keep up to date – and to have confidence in the standard of the training. TRS and BIFA gave us that certainty – and TRS were really easy to deal with, both professional and efficient. The fact that these courses are also heavily subsidised makes them too good to miss for any business serious about investing in their employees.”
Discover how to grow your team and your international business
Thank you, Ellena, for taking the time to share your insights. We are keen to see more businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk benefit from Skills Bootcamps. To find out how you can upskill your International Freight Forwarding team, please contact our Skills Broker, Bev Wallman: Bev.Wallman@suffolk.gov.uk
