AVENT Global Limited, a specialist logistics company firmly committed to staff development, enrolled Sam Smith, their Operations Assistant, in a Skills Bootcamp in International Freight Forwarding funded by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
The industry course, delivered by TRS and the British International Freight Association (BIFA), provided 20-year-old Sam from Huyton with essential freight forwarding expertise and fuelled his confidence, knowledge, and ambition. The result? A more skilled and motivated employee who has inspired his team, and is a great example of the impact of AVENT Global Limited’s commitment to their staff’s professional growth.
AVENT Global Limited
AVENT Global Limited, a dynamic logistics firm, prides itself on being a people-first organisation, prioritising staff and clients. It offers businesses and individuals a range of niche transportation, storage and associated services for products with specific handling requirements such as medical devices.
Guided by the values of education and opportunity, CEO Jon Avent leads the company with a mission to nurture talent and provide individual growth paths for employees. This ethos, built on Jon’s own experience and passion for education, has established AVENT Global Limited as a model employer, understanding the role of staff development in client satisfaction and operational success.
Training need
With international transportation being a key part of their offer, AVENT Global Limited needs its staff to understand the ins and outs of import and export, including customs rules, financial and safety compliance. They were keen to find a short, cost-effective training solution to give their team member, Sam, this essential industry knowledge.
TRS’s Skills Bootcamp in International Freight Forwarding is a six-week online programme funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and delivered in collaboration with the British International Freight Association (BIFA). The course offered AVENT Global Limited a flexible delivery schedule and a comprehensive set of training modules covering the skills they were looking for. Other aspects of the skills bootcamp that met AVENT Global Limited’s needs included:
- Professional expertise: The course was developed and delivered in partnership with BIFA, the leading trade association for freight forwarders. As such, the training is guaranteed to meet industry standards and requirements.
- Flexible learning schedule planned in advance: One day a week delivery allowed AVENT Global Limited to balance Sam’s learning commitment with his day-to-day workplace responsibilities.
- Practical and relevant curriculum: Sam developed expertise in many relevant areas, including customs documentation, international trade rules, shipment bookings, trade tariffs, and more.
Sam’s Skills Bootcamp experience has had benefits not only for him, but for AVENT Global Limited as a whole:
- Knowledge sharing
Sam returned from the course brimming with enthusiasm and armed with new skills. He immediately began putting his newly gained knowledge into practice. He is now creating a presentation for his colleagues to share his newfound knowledge, ensuring the entire team benefits.
- Building confidence and career momentum
The bootcamp boosted Sam’s confidence and status within the organisation. Already a bright and able young employee with exceptional potential, thanks to the Skills Bootcamp, he now has newfound confidence. AVENT Global Limited now plans to enrol him on a Level 5 Operations Manager Apprenticeship to enable him to take on more responsibilities within the organisation.
- Long-term organisational benefits
AVENT Global Limited plans to incorporate what Sam has learnt into an internal knowledge resource to support existing staff and onboard future recruits effectively. This ensures the scalability and sustainability of their training investment.
Jon Avent, CEO, highlighted the following in his feedback:
“Sam really benefited from the bootcamp. He’s clearly learned a great deal – that is evident just from his day-to-day use of all the professional freight forwarding terminology. He now has knowledge of new developments in the industry that the rest of us are not aware of, and we plan to have him cascade his newly acquired knowledge. This knowledge, and the confidence Sam has gained, are already elevating his role within the organisation.”
Culture of learning
This case study reflects AVENT Global Limited’s commitment to nurturing talent and fostering professional growth within its team. By partnering with TRS for the International Freight Forwarding Skills Bootcamp, AVENT Global Limited has empowered an employee and strengthened its operational capacity and internal culture of learning.
With a clear roadmap for Sam’s continued development, including his imminent progression onto the apprenticeship in operations management, AVENT Global Limited sets a benchmark for how small businesses can leverage funded training initiatives to develop and retain top talent.
