Leading figures from the world of international trade have gathered in London to celebrate an unprecedented year of academic success for the Institute of Export, and to acknowledge the outstanding success of this year’s record number of graduates.
In addition to the unparalleled number of students who graduated this year from its Ofqual accredited courses, the IOE has also experienced an outstanding 95% success rate for their long distance courses and seen a massive 42% increase in student enrolments for the forthcoming year.
More than 200 students joined key dignitaries from trade and industry sectors, including Lord Empey OBE, IOE President Jim Davis CBE, K(DK), Chairman Ian Taylor, Director General Lesley Batchelor OBE, Dr Ali Parsa, CEO, Babylon Health, Mark Hardy, Master of the Worshipful Company of World Traders, Dominic Jermey, Head of UKTI and Sheriff Fiona Adler, for a lavish awards ceremony and reception held at the Lord Mayor of London’s residence, Mansion House, London.
Among the students who received special accolades included Lena Muxfeldt from EU-Japan Centre, Tokyo, who scooped the prize for the highest marks in the Certificate in International Trade, Peter Wheeler from UKTI and Norma MacDonald from Scottish Enterprise, who shared the honours of achieving the top results in the Advanced Certificate of International Trade, and Marta Lili Roqueta Rodrigues-Baz from Dalebrook Supplies Ltd who achieved the highest marks in the Diploma in International Trade.
“I feel that the knowledge obtained from undertaking the Diploma has made me feel more valued by my colleagues and the management team at Dalebrook. I am now a proud graduate member of the Institute of Export and hope to do a related Master’s Degree in the future,” commented Marta.
Norma MacDonald from Scottish Enterprise said that the Advanced Certificate in International Trade (ACIT) qualification had appealed to her because it focused on the practical aspects of exporting.
“The learning applied to real life company scenarios which made the process far more rewarding and tangible,” she added.
The continued success of the IOE’s academic offering is due primarily to the education team’s continued commitment to quality and the variety of courses that it now offers. These include a wide choice of tailored qualifications, a foundation degree and the successful launch this year of two new high profile qualifications – a MSc and a BSc – delivered in collaboration with Warwick University and Plymouth University respectively.
IOE Director General Lesley Batchelor said “Congratulations to all our graduates. The year-on-year increase that we continue to see in enrolment figures clearly demonstrates that businesses understand and agree with the need for embedded professionalism in international trade and recognise that our globally acknowledged qualifications equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and expertise to work effectively in this sector.”
Grateful thanks go to the event sponsors – Amber Road, Strong & Herd, Croner, Cita, Norsk, Interways, TNT and Primo plc.
For more information on the IOE’s training, qualifications or business membership visit our website or contact us.