This level 3 apprenticeship, delivered by IOEx Ltd, equips a freight forwarder apprentice with an understanding of how freight moves, customs procedures and costings. After completion of the 11 core duties, a student will then study either the air, ocean or road pathway.
The coordination of freight transportation in support of global operations is vital to the UK economy. The demand for international trade skills is forecast to rise. Freight Forwarders implement key processes and deal with complex customs legislation. Specialists in Freight Forwarding must have current competence and knowledge in compliance, customs controls, and procedures relating to the movement of goods.
The typical duration of the learning period for this apprenticeship is 15 months, excluding the end point assessment phase. This apprenticeship will provide learners with the core knowledge and skills relevant to the freight forwarding industry such as:
- Key documentation and terminology
- Economic and cost considerations
- Responsibilities and regulations
- Customs regulations and procedures
- Communication and stakeholder relationships
- Industry Infrastructure
- Environmental and sustainability considerations
At the beginning of the programme, apprentices will also be given one of three pathways to reflect the focus of their employer’s operations. These are:
- Air Freight
- Ocean Freight
- Road Freight
Whichever pathway apprentices take, specific knowledge, skills and behaviours will be acquired in addition to the 11 core occupation duties:
| Duties | |
| Duty 1 | Make international shipment bookings for customer goods, which balance time, cost and environmental impact. |
| Duty 2 | Monitor the progress of shipments to ensure they are on time and in line with the requirements of the booking. |
| Duty 3 | Use appropriate methods of communication to keep customers informed about shipment progress in line with the booking and advise customers in the event of delays to enable them to make contingency plans. |
| Duty 4 | Prepare quotes for customers regarding the shipment of goods, both within the UK and internationally. |
| Duty 5 |
Enter details of booked shipments into own organisation's electronic operating system. |
| Duty 6 | Co-ordinate own activities with those of internal colleagues to meet operational priorities. |
| Duty 7 | Manage cost throughout the whole shipment from despatch to final destination. |
| Duty 8 | Ensure that any specific documents required by a destination country are available at time of shipment. (e.g. Certificate of Origin, Carnet). |
| Duty 9 | Respond to enquiries from colleagues, customers and authorities about shipments. |
| Duty 10 | Manage complaints about shipments, escalating to senior staff in own organisation where necessary. |
| Duty 11 | Submit a customs declaration and/or provide clearance instructions to a third-party customs broker. |
| Duty 12 (Air) | Assess and provide recommendations to customers on international air freight options, including cost, time, airport and country specific regulations, tariffs and any other unique requirements that impact. |
| Duty 13 (Air) | Book and process air freight by determining the relevancy of air freight services, matching the nature of goods for international air transit with the availability of space and appropriate services. |
| Duty 14 (Air) | Arrange and ensure the security of goods during international air transit to required standards, both in terms of the contract and in accordance with international aviation security rules and regulations. |
| Duty 15 (Ocean) | Assess and provide recommendations to customers on international ocean freight options, including cost, time, and the port and country specific regulations, tariffs and any other unique requirements that impact. |
| Duty 16 (Ocean) | Book and process ocean freight by determining the practicality of transporting goods by sea, matching the nature of goods for international ocean transit with the availability and suitability of the equipment and resources such as shipping containers, that will be needed. |
| Duty 17 (Ocean) | Create and handle the correct Bill of Lading for export and imports (contract of carriage), thereby helping to ensure the cargo can be released to the customer as applicable. |
| Duty 18 (Road) | Assess and provide recommendations to customers on international road freight options, including cost, time, and the road networks and country specific regulations, tariffs and any other unique requirements that impact. |
| Duty 19 (Road) | Book and process road freight by determining the practicality of transporting goods by road, by matching the nature of goods for international road transit with the nature and availability of road transport equipment and service schedules. |
| Duty 20 (Road) | Monitor the impact of international road transit times, road conditions and road features, providing guidance to colleagues and customers as required. For example, this could involve the impact on permitted driver hours and associated service solutions. |
Entry Requirements:
Our Apprenticeship specialist team will guide you through the eligibility and entry requirements for our International Freight Forwarding Specialist Level 3 apprenticeship.
Qualifications:
In addition to the apprenticeship standard learners must undertake Maths and English Functional Skills Level 2 if these aims (or equivalent) have not previously been achieved.
To find out more please express your interest by getting in touch: apprenticeships@export.org.uk