Laws, regulations and customs processes are all crucial to international trade. Yet the compliant movement of goods is often handled, in practice, by freight forwarders. One of the best ways to start or boost a career in this essential role is through the International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship.
In this article, we explore what a freight forwarder does, the skills the role requires and how apprenticeships offer a valuable – and often overlooked – route into building a successful freight forwarding career.
What is freight forwarding?
Freight forwarders move goods across borders, whether by air, sea, road or rail. They arrange the logistics, helping businesses take their goods from shipper to carrier and on to their destination.
Freight forwarding can refer both to the professionals who manage these movements, and organisations responsible for freight forwarding. For example, a manufacturer could have a freight forwarding specialist on their team – or they could outsource freight forwarding to a specialist freight forwarding organisation.
Freight forwarders don’t own the modes of transport, but they handle the organisation on behalf of importers and exporters. They’re an essential link in the supply chain and the global trading system.
What does a freight forwarder do?
Freight forwarders can handle documentation and help ensure compliance with customs regimes and laws, including those around packaging, as well as managing the physical process of moving the goods. That means coordinating carriers and routes, tracking shipments and getting involved to resolve delays or hold-ups. Freight forwarders play an essential role in preventing and managing trade disruption.
It’s vital they have a deep knowledge of regulations in target markets, including which documents to submit and what data they must contain. They also need a thorough understanding of the pain points or differences in regime between geographies.
Who could benefit from a freight forwarding apprenticeship?
Exporters, importers, logistics or freight companies all stand to benefit from enrolling their people on an international freight forwarding apprenticeship. Any job role with freight forwarding or customs responsibilities may be suitable, with relevant job titles including export/import administrator, shipping coordinator, warehouse manager and trade compliance assistant.
To be eligible, apprentices must be aged 16 or over, be a UK resident with the right to work in the UK and spend at least 50% of their working hours in England over the duration of the apprenticeship. They must hold an employment contract and not be on any other funded courses.
The government funding available makes freight forwarding apprenticeships a cost-effective way to develop team members and train the next generation of freight forwarding talent.
An international freight forwarding apprenticeship represents a rewarding next step in international trade for early career professionals and those looking to double down on existing knowledge. Even those deeper into their career can benefit, as one IOEx Ltd apprentice said:
“Embracing this change feels invigorating, as it opens doors to new possibilities and reinforces my belief that you can teach an old dog new tricks.”
What is a Level 3: International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship?
The Level 3: International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship is a nationally recognised qualification, designed to give apprentices a thorough understanding of the movement of freight, customs procedures and costings.
IOEx Ltd, the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade’s apprenticeships subsidiary, offers the Level 3: Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship. This provides a grounding in the core knowledge and skills relevant to the freight forwarding industry, such as:
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Key documentation and terminology
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Economic and cost considerations
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Responsibilities and regulations
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Customs regulations and procedures
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Communication and stakeholder relationships
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Industry infrastructure
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Environmental and sustainability considerations
How are apprenticeships funded?
An apprenticeship will most likely cost organisations nothing extra – all funding comes from Apprenticeship Levy contributions.
As a business with an over £3m annual payroll:
You’ll pay 0.5% of your payroll into the Apprenticeship Levy, which is then topped up by the government by 10%. This can then be spent on apprenticeships. If these funds aren’t spent within 24 months of payment, they expire.
If you spend all your levy funds, you can still enrol more apprentices. The government will pay 95% of the additional training costs, and you will only need to pay 5%.
As a business with a less than £3m annual payroll:
The government covers 100% of the apprenticeship training and assessment cost for apprentices under 21 years of age on the day of enrolment, for businesses with a payroll of less than £3m annually.
For apprentices over 21 years of age, these businesses will only need to pay 5% towards the cost of their apprenticeships.
For the Level 3 International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship, the maximum cost is £9,000, meaning that a small business would only need to contribute £450 maximum, for apprentices over 21 – and nothing at all for those 16-21 years of age. Payment can also be spread over the duration of the apprenticeship, making it more manageable for the employer.
Note: This funding is for the training and assessment costs of an apprenticeship, employers will pay their team member’s wages.
How does an apprenticeship help progress a freight forwarding career path?
The International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship delivers the knowledge and industry insight to kick start a career in freight forwarding – or in customs and supply chain management more widely.
It helps to develop confidence and provides a nationally recognised certification. This is a clear signal of excellence for clients, stakeholders and prospective employers. With a curriculum devoted to 11 core duties within freight forwarding, it develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to thrive in roles involving the movement of goods across border.
Find out more about the Level 3: International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship, delivered by IOEx Ltd, a subsidiary of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade.
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