While we might be ending the year with more questions than answers about what’s ahead for trade policy, USFIA members know they will get those answers as soon as we have them, thanks to our educational programs. In a period of marked lack of skilled labor—especially in supply chain, global trade, logistics, and customs management—it is important to offer top-of-the-line education and training to the industry. In 2016, we addressed the challenge by launching our Education & Training Committee and expanding our programs. 

“Given the many changes in global trade we can certainly expect in 2017, it is important for your teams to stay current on regulatory shifts and other topics. The education committee is made up of experts in various areas so we can ensure we deliver timely information to our members,” says Gary Barraco, Director of Global Product Marketing for Amber Road, USFIA’s Innovation Partner and Co-Chair of the Education & Training Committee. He heads the committee along with Michael Singer, Vice President of Customs & Social Compliance at Macy’s Merchandising Group.

This year, 75% of our members attended at least one of our in-person events, including the annual conference in New York City as well as seminars in San Francisco, Columbus, and Washington, D.C., which provided opportunities to meet the policymakers who impact their businesses and share best practices with peers. While our seminars at Levi Strauss & Co. and L Brands are always favorites, our Washington Trade Symposium had significant growth in attendance, showing the importance of company engagement in D.C.—and we’ll soon have a special announcement about next year’s event on July 12, 2017.

In addition to our major conferences, we move quickly to provide training on critical topics—and thanks to the help of our partners PwC and GEODIS, we offered three hands-on workshops on the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) and customs developments. “I got a lot out of the hands-on training format, where Customs and [GEODIS] walked us through the portal and the reports section, highlighting some of the most useful reports for importers and pointing out common report prep errors and troubleshooting tips,” said a member. “I particularly appreciated the practical advice that Sandy Coty of [GEODIS] offered us from her extensive experience working with so many of the ACE reports.”

Of course, we can’t forget our webinars, which enabled members to learn from experts without leaving their desks. Looking at the Top 5 by attendance for the year, you can see just how diverse our members’ needs are:

1. The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) and Levi Strauss & Co. case study, with 111 attendees
2. A look at new sourcing studies, hosted by Amber Road and Dr. Sheng Lu, with 101 attendees
3. A discussion on USFIA’s Sourcing Trends & Outlook for 2016, hosted by the USFIA Education & Training Committee, with 92 attendees
4. What the fashion industry needs to know about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), anti-corruption, and bribery, hosted by PwC, with 85 attendees
5. Understanding leather types, manufacturing, treatment, and tanning, hosted by the SGS leather expert, with 85 attendees

You can access all of the year’s webinars on our website, including the five in the Coffee Break Series, which allow busy executives to understand a topic in just 30 minutes—another important initiative developed by the committee.

We’re already working with our committee, partners, and members to develop our programs for 2017, and we welcome your feedback on what you liked, what you didn’t, and what topics we need to cover next year. And if you’re interested in hosting a webinar, sponsoring a seminar, or joining the committee and making an impact on the industry, get in touch!