Obtaining and maintaining a professional designation is a worthy achievement and something that any individual can be proud of. Currently some 80 individuals proudly bear the Professional Freight Forwarder (PFF) designation and are recognized as ‘Individual Members’ of the association.
“The PFF designation is a mark of excellence in and commitment to the freight forwarding industry”, says Jeff Cullen, CIFFA President and President and CEO of Rodair. “Our sector is maturing and a professional designation can help establish standards and set the bar for senior positions within the industry. Employers want an easily recognizable way to distinguish an industry professional and the PFF should provide that.”
Current PFFs have not only met education and work-experience requirements, they also contribute to the industry by sitting on working groups and committees, representing freight forwarders at events and trade shows and contributing to overall promotion of the global freight logistics sector. They make a point of continuing to learn throughout their careers, and are required to maintain personal and professional development through conferences, seminars and classes.
While the application process itself will be made easier and the benefits of accreditation increased, the education requirements of the program are being beefed up as part of the association’s ongoing drive to enhance the industry’s professionalism. To qualify for accreditation after January 1, 2017, applicants will need to have completed the association’s three new management courses that are now available, and its workshops on standard trading conditions and ethical decision-making, in addition to the Certificate and Advanced Certificate programs that have always been required for accreditation. Existing PFFs (defined as PFFs who had renewed with CIFFA as of February 29, 2016) will have two years, until January 1, 2019, to complete the management courses.
For more information on the PFF designation or the new management curriculum please email CIFFA at PFF@ciffa.com. For more information on the management program visit the website at www.ciffa.com/education/