Bolat ZHAKHIN, Manager of IT Department of TRANSSYSTEM Company.

In the European countries already for a long time the licensing forwarding and any activity keep on three whales: it is a financial solvency, good reputation and professional competence. What is the position of the third whale of forwarding activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan?

Logistic Center created at Kazakhstan Freight Forwarding Association of (KFFA) in 2001, till now it has been unique in our country educational establishment giving services on vocational
training in the field of freight forwarding.

What its histoty? What its successes? What tasks of Logistic Center in the future?

About it we asked to tell us Mr. S.Bragin, the Director of the Logistic Center.

- Certainly the difficult stage was the edition of the educational base. In fact the logistic and forwarding appeared a field not ploughed up on the education. In the West the formation of the logistic and forwarding agents existed for a long time, more than 30 years, in many countries the institutes of logistic created. Training of forwarders pass in high schools and short-term rates on the certificate of professional competence. It is caused by to speed up processof preparation of professionals - forwarding agents. For example in the Great Britain week rates are carried out ,
and in Netherlands - three-monthly rates. But on these rates it gives about logistic and forwarding is more than in our technical institutes for 4-5 years of training. Training can be carried out on the basis of higher education and without education. But certainly the experts prepared
and possessing experience of work have chances to pass examination and to receive the document confirming competence of the graduate. On formation of experts in high schools of the European Union the special attention is given questions of financial activity, jurisprudence, the work legislation, insurance, ecological safety, as against high schools of the countries CIS where till now the emphasis is done on knowledge of out-of-date technical designs and intricate formulas, philosophies and other humanitarian disciplines, and the economic part and special
disciplines remain in their shadow.

At opening our Center we certainly planned training on the basis of available transport, economic higher education, therefore there were essential distinctions in preparation of the training and methodical documentation both with the western colleagues, and with colleagues from the post-Soviet space. And operating time on this direction was not. The first stage began from development
of curriculums literally at sight. Programs of training should correspond strictly to all requirements and standards FIATA (International Federation of Associations of Forwarders). For reception of accreditation of the program it were necessary presence of library with the special literature, training-methodical, distributing materials, the instructors corresponding to a professional standard.
Selection on a competitive basis of the teachers having a practical operational experience, pedagogical skills for accessible teaching students. Equipment of the Logistic Center by the means of training (special complete sets on dangerous cargoes, projectors, the TV, the videorecorder, boards, tables, chairs, videocassettes with teaching materials and many other things) played a principal role.

Mr. Franc Verner Presha, the Head of Representation of TACIS in Republic of Kazakhstan rendered originally strong support. Within the framework of program TACIS «Support of development of a policy of transit corridors in Republic of Kazakhstan», a development of the educational centers was provided. Due to this help a possibility to invite the expert for rendering assistance in development of the concept and principles of training courses on freight forwarding appeared. Mr. Gordon Cameroon, the instructor FTA (Freight Transport Association of the Great Britain) advising on these guestions in more than 20 states visited our Logistic Center. Task of the Kazakhstan experts, trained on FTA rates, was a preparation of the study programs in the shortest terms and an addition of training of the materials, which are taking into account features of national transportations, local practice of forwarding, logistic of transport operations and questions of customs procedures to the given standard programs.

Under project TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe -Caucasus - Asia) also it was provided the help to our center, but, unfortunately, except for promises we received nothing, though under the given project the educational centers in 11 states of Eurasia have been open and equipped.

As a result of laborious, harmonious as in a clockwork the work which have been lead by employees of the Logistic Center, the training thematic plan and the program «International Freight Forwarding» was successfully accredited in Committee on Professional Training of FIATA, and on the 1-st March, 2001 our Center received the right to train students under the given program and to give out the international diploma of FIATA recognized world­ wide.

We faced small problems at selection of teachers -instructors. In fact teaching (lecture and practical) in the Center of Logistic differs from academic in high schools. Before teachers there are no the students after school who as punch absorb all successively, and frequently there are the professionals and specialists having considerable experience which by their skin have tested and are experienced all the complexities existing in forwarding business. Therefore there are no tiresome lectures, records under dictation, losses of time for making an abstract, and instead of it there are the distributing written materials which are given out beforehand which are necessary for acquiring for two weeks that to pass examination. Teacher creates algorithm of mastering of the given material, accents on the most difficult moments. He should not be lost under the sly questions of students. I'll tell fairly, some of the teachers passed the selection on teaching in the Logistic Center. Among them there are representatives of the large forwarding companies, associations of road carriers of Kazakhstan, Academy of Aircraft, etc. All of them passed the training of the special preparation confirmed with the international certificate, giving the right to teaching a training course on professional training of forwarders.

The special attention is given carrying out of examinations. Examination process is finishing stage of each rate and the most responsible. Results are sent in FIATA for registration of the diploma. Students within 4 hours write tests (questions with several variants of answers) on various blocks of the program of the training including freight forwarding on railway, air, road, sea and river transport, customs questions and multimodal transportations. For reception of FIATA Diploma it is necessary for graduates to collect not less than 85 % of points from a maximum quantity. Not all students may it, especially who has not enough operational experience, because the material is very volumetric and abounds special terminology. A rate is very intensive - 10 days since 9-00 a.m. till 6-00 p.m. Only the prepared experts maintained such loading.

You can ask, why 10 days in total ? Maybe one month is better? So it has been stipulated by the program accredited FIATA, and the practice of training and operational experience of other educational centers of near and far abroad show that the increase in term of training conducts to inconveniences of conducting industrial and technological processes of many companies. It is idle times or failure of the contract. In fact basically the working forwarding agents with an operational experience 2-5 years are trained on rates. Many centers (including Moscow ASMAP Training Centre, KazATO Training Centre) for this reason have been compelled to reduce the three-week rates about two weeks.

Logistic Center also gives alternative terms of training. The most occupied forwarding agents and heads can study on two, three-day rates of times in a quarter, during 6-9 months, being trained and passing tests on blocks.

Beginning forwarders study too quarterly as it is hard for them to understand a 10-day's intensive rate. Their training can proceed till 1,5 years while they will train specialization and will not pass examination for FIATA Diploma which is deciding at employment on a post of the forwarding agent in transport sector of economy.

In 2002 the Center had been prepared 63 experts, 45 from them have received diplomas FIATA Diplomas «International Freight Forwarders». Now these experts are claimed and successfully apply the knowledge and skills in practice that allows them to succeed in the business. In the European countries the company which is not having such diploma or not possessing the expert with such diploma, has no right to carry out forwarding activity.

Now the KFFA Logistic Center organize the following courses in Almaty:

10-days intensive rate «International Freight Forwarding».?It is program for experts with an operational experience not less than two years. Rate is useful to forwarding agents, to the
shippers, to the consignees, to their agents and managers.

Students successfully given examinations receive FIATA Diploma «International Freight Forwarding Agent» which confirms the competence of its owner in the field of international freight forwarding.

Since September, 2001 it was trained 86 person, 80 from which have received FIATA Diplomas.

5-days training seminar «Transportation of volume and large-sized cargoes by railway

transportation on an open rolling stock»?for experts of shippers, their agents and the forwarding companies. After the termination the students receive KFFA certificate by the given kinds of transportations. 11 students are owners of certificates.

5-days training seminar «Organization of safe transportation of dangerous goods by air transport» ? for experts of shippers, their agents and the forwarding companies. After
the termination the students receive IATA certificate (International Air Transport Association) and KFFA certificate on the basis of requirements ICAO (International Organization of
Civil Aircraft). 38 person were trained.

- 2-days seminar «Aktau Sea Trading Port».? Information on the unique international port in Republic of Kazakhstan is offered to students. The given seminar is interesting for forwarding agents, shippers, consignees, carriers working in interaction with sea transport. 18 person participated.

2-days training seminar on application of forwarding documents in bank operations (form of payment).?Program of a rate for preparation of the bank employees working with the forwarding companies and financial experts of shippers. After the termination the KFFA certificate is given out to students. 7 person are the owners of certificate.

Under the application of the interested companies the Logistic Center organizes :

- Training and improvement of professional skill of experts for the transport-forwarding

companies, shippers and their agents;

- Carrying out of the analysis of application of working legal base in transport-forwarding branch and development of measures on its perfection;

- Consulting services for the forwarding companies;

- Work on perfection and introduction of new kinds of service for the forwarding companies;

- Introduction of new achievements and information technologies in sphere of transport service;

Carrying out of examination under transport projects, development of logistical decisions for shippers and the trading companies;

- Selection, purchase and production of the necessary educational, technical and technological literature.

As to about plans for the near future, the Logistic Center develops the rates on preparation of tariffing bookkeepers for the forwarding companies with an opportunity of the subsequent employment. Given rate will be carried out for graduates of transport and economic high schools because the forwarding in modern understanding is a young and progressing business, experts for which specially are not prepared by any high school.

Also our Center accepts active participation in development of the project of Preferential Customs System in Republic of Kazakhstan, which has caused interest and has got support on the part of customs bodies of Republic of Kazakhstan. It is planned to hold a seminar on customs questions. Information under the customs legislation, regulation of foreign trade activities, the control, registration at crossing border of the Republic of Kazakhstan, customs modes, customs internal transit, classification of the goods, the commodity nomenclature of foreign trade activities, declaring, taxes and payments, is offered to students.

Educational seminar «Organization of transportations of dangerous goods by ground transport » for experts of shippers, their agents and the forwarding companies prepares. Questions of a seminar concern the organization of transportations of dangerous goods according to requirements of the International Maritime Code about Dangerous Goods (IMDG/IMO), transportations by road according ADR Agreement, transportations by railway (RID). Rate includes separate seminars «Transportation of dangerous goods by rail in bulk», «Transportation of dangerous goods by rail in covered cars and bunkers», «Transportation of dangerous goods by sea transport», «Transportation of dangerous goods by road».
After the termination the students receive KFFA certificate on transportations of dangerous goods by ground transport.

Direction of any company, somehow connected to transport or forwarding activity, should understand that time of self-educated persons has irrevocably passed. Objective reality is those that any activity aspires to be regulated and coordinated in all aspects to correspond to the standards which should be in turn confirmed with corresponding certificates though it is quite possible, the company successfully works and without the specified certificates. However in the near future it can already happen so that presence of FIATA Diplomas and certificates of professional competence at workers of the company appears deciding argument in competitive struggle and it will serve as an occasion for a choice for the benefit of the given company. Differently the life urgently demands a retirement from amateur activity and becoming its professional.

Magistral # 7 (pages 139-142)