Pictured - United Kingdom Warehousing Association

34 UKWA AGM ReportRecent changes within SfL include thesetting up of a number of occupational craftskills groups. They are being created byemployers, for employers, with the help oftrade associations, and with the support of SfL.UKWA has been asked to set up and chair theWarehousing Occupational Craft Skills Group, or a WOCS group. Its role will be:• To determine the skills needs of thewarehousing sector• Drive skills issues• Analyse trends and policies• Support SfL in planning and prioritisingfuture skills needs• Assess skills requirements.• Provide leadership on skills issues in thesector.It sounds like an excellent opportunity foremployers to influence matters in this vitallyimportant area. I shall be inviting UKWAmembers to join the group shortly, and Ivery much hope that I will get a positiveresponse from all parts of our varied sector.Regional eventsUKWA holds events twice a year in each ofits region. They have grown in popularityin recent years, and my thanks are due toMick Davison and the regional chairmen foridentifying attractive venues and informativespeakers. Reports on these meetings are putin Warehouse, but I mention them because weare always looking for fresh ideas aboutspeakers and venues. I’d be grateful for inputfrom anyone at any time.Trade showsOur two main trade shows are Multimodaland Foodex. Of the two, Multimodal is themore significant for UKWA members andUKWA itself. Our pavilions at both havegrown, and we will continue to supportthese events. Next year however, we intendalso to be hosting a pavilion at IMHX forFull members of UKWA. It is not a showwhere Full members have taken spacebefore, but the organisers are keen toengage with them, and given the size andscope of the show, it could be mutuallybeneficial.UKWA StaffWe have had no changes in staff during theyear. It has allowed us a period of stability,during which we have been developing newprocesses and procedures in the office.August 2012Our credit control is working well, and wehad excellent results with aged debtors bypassing them to collection agency.International AffairsI end my report by focusing on ourInternational activities. UKWA continues toplay a leading role in IFWLA. We providethe secretariat and the Secretary General,and we are prominent in the decision-makingprocess. There is no doubt that the centreof gravity of the Federation is movingeastwards, but there does not appear to beany appetite from any other member countryto wrest this role from us.This year’s International convention took placein Rome. The UK delegation was larger thanrecent years with 9 delegates plus partners, andwe enjoyed an informative programme.The main item of interest from a UKWA“UKWA has been asked to set up and chair Skills forLogistics’ Warehousing Occupational Craft SkillsGroup. It sounds like an excellent opportunity foremployers to influence matters in this vitallyimportant area”point of view was the bid made by the UKdelegation to host the IFWLA convention inUK in 2015. The bid was successful, andsubsequently endorsed by the Managementboard.We are lucky enough to have a volunteerto master mind the planning of the event.He is Derrick Potter and although 2015seems a long way away, I suspect we will beholding our first meeting very shortly. Bythis time next year we need to be able toannounce the venue, the dates, the outlineprogramme, and perhaps to have securedsome of our required sponsorship. I haven’tspoken to Derrick, but I am sure he wouldwelcome any input you may have, particularlyover the choice of venue and sponsorshipleads.Before 2015, IFWLA meet in Beijing nextyear ( 8- 12 May). It takes place alongside theChinese national convention and anInternational logistics show. And in 2014, ittakes place in Panama, by which time thenewly widened canal will have opened with itsconsequential impact on the regionalsupply chains.“www.ukwa.org.uk