Getting trade expertise through training and qualifications enables businesses to “give confidence” to customers and suppliers, a panel of traders has said.
With Donald Trump about to re-enter the White House, supply chain disruptions resulting from international conflicts and climate, as well as new rules and process following the UK’s departure from the EU, businesses currently need to navigate a period of significant change and uncertainty.
Speaking on a LinkedIn Live event, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade yesterday (15 January), the body’s academy director, Daniela Turiccki, said that businesses needed to ensure they have the expertise needed to prepare for and adapt to these changes.
“Businesses that trade internationally are more profitable, sustainable and productive,” she said.
“But [they] need expertise due to the number of regulations involved. You need to understand the importing and exporting process, whether through training courses or qualifications.
“You should also sign up to government updates for regular insights into what’s changing in regulations and policy, as well as the documents that are required.”
Educational support
Gavin Wenborn, group transport manager at The Compleat Food Group, said that studying for a trade qualification delivered by the UK Customs Academy had helped give him and his business “confidence” when dealing with supply chain partners and customers.
“Training allowed us to speak confidently and give confidence to our customers and suppliers,” he said.
The UK Customs Academy is an online e-learning platform co-delivered by the Chartered Institute.
“The training was perfect for our business,” said Wenborn.
“It was distance learning with access to tutors. We could pose questions to the tutors and we could take away the modules and study them together as a group internally.”
He also said that government notices, the Chartered Institute’s Daily Update newsletter and its Lunchtime Learning webinars for members were also useful resources.
Industry expertise
Turiccki said that the Chartered Institute is well placed to support businesses because its experts have worked within industry themselves.
“That’s where a lot of our expertise comes from, because we’ve actually worked in industry,” she said.
“We’ve come across the problems that most businesses are currently dealing with, so we’ve navigated how to get through those changes and implement different ways of working.”
She said the body’s training could be delivered in flexible ways, that could be “changed and adapted to your business”.
“What we’re here to do is to help you, to make your life easier on a day-to-day basis.”
Staying updated
The importance of staying abreast with ongoing regulatory changes was mentioned throughout the webinar.
The Chartered Institute’s Imports Advisory Practice lead, Ilona Kawka, spoke about a new calendar of upcoming regulatory changes that the body had produced at the start of this year.
The body also launched a new quarterly email bulletin to keep HR and learning and development (L&D) managers “updated on the key training and qualifications needed for successful international trade”.
The International Trade Skills Briefing is “ideal for customs and import/export professionals, and HR [and] L&D leads and people managers at companies looking to thrive through international trade”.
