Logistics and Freight Forwarding

WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

Occupation description and WSOS

The name of the skill competition is

Description of the associated work role(s) or occupation(s)

Logistics services are focused on International Transportations and Services. The Logistician / Freight Forwarder manages the movement of goods from one location to another on behalf of a customer. They generally do this on a commercial basis and within a strong legal and financial framework. The modes of transport may include road, rail, air or sea, or a combination of these. The Logistician/Freight Forwarder requires specific expertise to ensure that all necessary documentation conforms to the requirements of customs, insurance and the law (IATA Conventions, Maritime Law, ICC Codes, and any international regulations governing international transportation).

This work role may be part of a large or small logistics organization with the main purpose of moving freight on behalf of other organizations and individuals. It may also be situated within a national or international supply chain.

The work environment for the Logistician/Freight Forwarder is normally an office equipped with ITC services. The scope of the role will be determined by the size of the organization; generally, the larger the organization the more specialized the role will be. Specialist functions may also be outsourced or subcontracted to agents. However broad or narrow the role, its core is the preparation of quotations, the processing of orders and the calculation of costs and price. The Logistician/Freight Forwarder deals with written and telephone correspondence, sometimes using two or more languages, normally including English. They also prepare delivery notes and deal with complaints. In smaller, less compartmentalized organizations the Logistician/Freight Forwarder may also need to coordinate transport and warehousing. Increasingly this role operates in a paperless environment.

Although the Logistician/Freight Forwarder is individually responsible for the quality of their own work, since the movement of freight is a 24-hour operation, they have a mutual dependency on both other Freight Forwarders and also the broader quality of the organization’s procedures and systems. The Freight Forwarder is the customer-facing part of the organization, whose transactions lead to contracts which must be robust, cost-effective and encourage repeat business. The quality of the Logistician/ Freight Forwarder’s communication with the customer from initial enquiry through to safe delivery is vital. This is especially the case with customer complaints, which require a close knowledge of each stage of the agreed service and efficient problem solving within the given procedures.

The Logistician/ Freight Forwarder is dependent on each stage of the freight moving process working as intended. Therefore, their work will be affected by many human and non-human factors. Locally and nationally there are seasonal factors, including weather and major festivals and holidays, and also infrastructural factors. For international freight, the factors multiply, one of the greater complexities being customs. Depending on the place of the organization within the market for logistics and supply, some freight may require exceptional care, or urgency, or priority treatment. So, although the Logistician/Freight Forwarder works within tight procedures, they must also be highly responsive to the large and small issues that impact on their role daily or occasionally.

Logistics and Freight forwarding is a growing sector; this is a long-term trend associated with globalization. Therefore, it is a very attractive area for employment. At the same time, the sector is very vulnerable to the disruptive impact of technology on a large and rapid scale as networks are integrated and robotics advance. A Logistician/Freight Forwarder who has the capacity to be both exact and responsive as required will be in a strong position to take advantage of this volatility and growth for the benefit of both commerce, society and environment.

The WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

General notes on the WSOS

The WSOS specifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, and capabilities that underpin international best practice in technical and vocational performance. These are both specific to an occupational role and also transversal. Together they should reflect a shared global understanding of what the associated work role(s) or occupation(s) represent for industry and business (www.worldskills.org/WSOS).

The skill competition is intended to reflect international best practice as described by the WSOS, to the extent that it can. The Standard is therefore a guide to the required training and preparation for the skill competition.

In the skill competition the assessment of knowledge and understanding will take place through the assessment of performance. There will only be separate tests of knowledge and understanding where there is an overwhelming reason for these.

The Standard is divided into distinct sections with headings and reference numbers added.

Each section is assigned a percentage of the total marks to indicate its relative importance within the Standards. This is often referred to as the “weighting”. The sum of all the percentage marks is 100. The weightings determine the distribution of marks within the Marking Scheme.

Through the Test Project, the Marking Scheme will assess only those skills and capabilities that are set out in the WorldSkills Occupational Standards. They will reflect the Standards as comprehensively as possible within the constraints of the skill competition.

The Marking Scheme will follow the allocation of marks within the Standards to the extent practically possible. A variation of up to five percent is allowed, if this does not distort the weightings assigned by the Standards.

WorldSkills Occupational Standards

Section		Relative importance (%)
1	Work organization and management	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: The place of freight forwarding within industry and commerce The place of freight forwarding within a range of organization types The boundaries of freight forwarding roles The impact of freight forwarding roles on those with adjacent roles and responsibilities The impact on the role of 24-hour global operations Human geography in terms of climate, time zones and infrastructure The key risks impacting on the efficient movement of goods The hazards and risks to health and safety from the movement of goods The need for sustainable solutions to the movement of goods The obligations associated with the role to The business Colleagues Customers
	The individual shall be able to: Manage the core functions of the role Respond efficiently to the peaks and troughs of business Solve or mitigate the consequences of issues that arise in the normal course of business Maintain an efficient and secure workspace Take account of the need for sustainable working and solutions Maintain due process and accountability when under pressure Respond efficiently to exceptional circumstances Enable others to address and resolve issues within one’s own area when personally unavailable
2	Customer relations	25
	The individual needs to know and understand: The principles of behaviour when working with and for customers The business’s policy and position in relation to the type of customer and goods The principles underlying marketing and advertising strategies and techniques Cultural norms and expectations The range of customers’ preferred communication forms
	The individual shall be able to: Use the framework of the law: Communicate with the customer verbally Communicate with the customer in writing Maintain clarity both ways during interactions provide the customer with confidence and value for money within the available flexibilities Prepare the customer for associated risks and uncertainty where these apply Acquire new customers and business through visits, presentations and value-added services
3	Business transactions	20
	The individual needs to know and understand: The general and specific options and procedures for the movement of goods including: Road Rail Air Sea The geographic pre-requisites for optimal route planning The industry-specific options for tracking and monitoring the movement of goods The implications of customs and foreign trade legislation The contents of sales agreements, other relevant contracts, and their uses in business The legal framework for the handling or personal and sensitive data The principles of insurance and their applications to the movement of goods The basics of employment law Revenues and expenses Budget creation The essential features of corporate taxes and duties The advantages and disadvantages of different payment methods The commercial and legal implications of different payment methods The elements of an invoice The procedures for payment transactions
	The individual shall be able to: Make financial decisions based on understanding of customer behaviour Make cost-benefit calculations in order to recommend particular plans of action Handle and safeguard personal and other sensitive data Risk assess the implications of the agreements With regard to insurance Assess insurance needs Take out insurance Make insurance claims based on loss or damage Use the framework of the law to Initiate agreements Conclude agreements Fulfil agreements
4	Costing and pricing	20
	The individual needs to know and understand: The principles and formal requirements of accounting How to analyse and allocate receipts The purposes of forms for saving and financing The principles and practices underlying national and international payment transactions Methods for identifying, labelling and transporting sensitive, urgent and hazardous goods
	The individual shall be able to: Make records of income and outgoings Compare and assess banking services involving national and international transactions, taking their terms into account Research the relevant toll systems and incorporate in cost benefit analyses Calculate import charges Calculate purchase costs, comparing rates and conditions Make and justify qualitative and quantitative choices based on price/performance ratios Carry out calculations on volume and price Check calculations and generate invoices Carry out trade costing including import and export calculations and cost accounting Calculate prices and price discounts Compare quotations Identify and interpret industry-specific labelling and safety requirements for sensitive, urgent, and hazardous goods
5	Information and communication technology	5
	The individual needs to know and understand: A range of standard software In house software In house protocols for the maintenance and safety of the business’s networks The use of ICT for the analysis and administration of customer needs and services Safe working practice for the use of ICT The use of ICT for marketing and PR purposes
	The individual shall be able to: Maintain and upgrade IT skills to meet organizational needs and trends Use IT in a safe, responsible, and appropriate manner Use IT for all aspects of business transactions Written communications Sourcing suppliers, obtaining quotations, orders Agreement, delivery notes Invoices Payment Ensure that information is easily accessible to authorized others according to need Use ICT to win and sustain business, including through the design and delivery of presentations, feedback, and data
6	Contingency management	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: The legal principles and their application to freight forwarding The forms, protocols, and conditions that Apply to formal agreements and negotiations within the sector Impact on the distribution of risk between the exporter and importer Risk, the assignment of costs, and the further consequences The nature and causes of contractual irregularities Principles, policies and procedures for quality assurance and control Principles of reflection and review following errors and complaints Continuous quality improvement strategies and methods Emergency procedures The impact of the movement of goods on the environment
	The individual shall be able to: Research legal options for industry-specific problems in handling transactions Deal with industry-specific problems in an appropriate manner React appropriately to contractual irregularities Explain and record the line of action taken Respond to emergencies and critical incidents Treat emergencies and critical incidents as a basis for quality development Use continuous quality improvement methods within the immediate and wider work group Incorporate environmental considerations in the decision-making process
7	Sustainability	10
	The individual need to understand: The different facets of sustainability and how sustainability permeates the Logistics and Freight Forwarding industry The business landscape propelling the case for sustainable supply chains Life Cycle Analysis and sustainable materials Carbon foot printing Supplier networks Engaging with suppliers Drivers and barriers for ethical and green sourcing. Tools for ethical sourcing Environmental impact of freight transport. Modes of transport Strategies to reduce the environmental impact of freight transport
	The individual shall be able to: Take account of the concept of sustainability in a business context and how this is influencing Logistics and Freight Forwarding Appraise contemporary debates on governance systems associated with global supply chains Take account of the environmental impact of logistics activities as well as end of life management and reverse logistics Evaluate the trade-offs and impacts of sustainable logistics decision making, taking into account economic, environmental and societal impacts
	Total	100

References for industry consultation

General notes

WorldSkills is committed to ensuring that the WorldSkills Occupational Standards fully reflect the dynamism of internationally recognized best practice in industry and business. To do this WorldSkills approaches a number of organizations across the world that can offer feedback on the draft Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards on a two-yearly cycle.

In parallel to this, WSI consults three international occupational classifications and databases:

ISCO-08: (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)
ESCO: (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home )
O*NET OnLine (www.onetonline.org/)

References

This WSOS (Section 2) appears to relate most closely to Freight Forwarders:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-5011.01

and is a junior version of Forwarding Manager:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/39803100-c338-4f01-ad2c-085d488920ca

These links can also be used to explore adjacent occupations.

ILO 3331

The following table indicates which organizations were approached and provided valuable feedback for the Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards in place for WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Organization	Contact name
Claudia Valeria Oliveira Almeida	Self-employed logistics professional and consultant
Fulstandig Shows and Events MC Ltda.	Marianne Ewbank, Director
Tech Move Solutions	Adrian Byrne, Operations Director