SCS Training & Consultancy (hereafter Special Cargo College) is the first training provider in the Netherlands to be IATA CBTA (Competency-Based Training & Assessment) accredited. ‘An accreditation to be proud of’; said Erik den Dikken, director at Special Cargo. As an IATA CBTA accredited training provider, as of Sept. 1, it is possible to take competency-based training courses on the air transport of dangerous goods at Special Cargo College. No more redundant teaching, but rather education aimed at increasing the competencies of the trainees focused on his or her position.
In aviation, competency-based training is already mandatory in many cases. As of Jan. 1, 2023, personnel involved in the air transport of dangerous goods must also receive competency-based training according to new ICAO and IATA standards. This includes consignors, warehouse personnel, air cargo agents, ground handlers, cockpit crews, cabin and passage handling personnel and security personnel.
Customer-focused trainings
Providing competency-based training is not a new concept for Special Cargo College. For several years, the training provider has been providing customer-oriented training, based on the customer’s requirements and the types of dangerous goods found in the company, coupled with the function of the employees. As the first training provider in the Netherlands with IATA CBTA accreditation, Special Cargo College can now offer this format in its classroom and online courses for the transportation of dangerous goods by air.
Advantages
“The main benefit of competency-based training is an increase in safety when transporting dangerous goods by air,” says Patrick Schoenmaker, operations manager at Special Cargo. After all, staff in CBTA training programs are trained for the tasks they must perform in practice. In the process, the elimination of redundant learning can shorten the course in many cases. There will also be more teaching in a blended format; students will start with an e-learning and depending on the position, classroom training will be linked to this, either on site or at our training location.
Quality control
The organization started the process for the CBTA program some time ago. Not only was the course material completely rewritten in recent months, but Special Cargo College was also subjected to a 2-day audit. During this quality control, IATA looked at the design, examination and delivery of the courses, among other things. The organization and work processes were also put under a magnifying glass. The audit revealed that Special Cargo College is a reputable training organization with years of experience. The content of the trainings is of a very high standard and matches the content of IATA’s CBTA program requirements, the report said.
Obligation by Jan. 1, 2023
Effective Jan. 1, 2023, all trainers are required to provide competency-based training. According to Dutch regulations, the basic or refresher course (currently Category 1, 3 or 6) for recognition holders cannot be conducted on the basis of competency-based training until Jan. 1, 2023. However, Special Cargo College will offer some of the courses listed below competency-based as of September 1, 2022:
- IATA H.6.1 – Preparing shipments of dangerous goods (course for consignors and packers)
- IATA H.6.2 – Handling or accepting goods presented as general cargo (course for pilot officers or personnel laterally involved in the air transport of dangerous goods)
- IATA H.6.3 – Handling or accepting shipments containing dangerous goods (course for air cargo agents and ground handlers)
- IATA H.6.4 – Handling of dangerous goods in a warehouse, loading and unloading of dangerous goods in ULDs and aircraft (course for ground handling personnel)
- IATA H.6.7 – Management of dangerous goods before and during flight (flight crew course)
- IATA H.6.9 – Hazardous materials do allowed to be carried by passengers (course for cabin crew and passenger handling staff)
- IATA H.6.10 – Hazardous materials do allowed to be carried by passengers (course for personnel in charge of security screening of passengers and crew members)
Special Cargo College is an IATA accredited training provider. On an annual basis, Special Cargo trains over 25,000 trainees in Hazardous Materials, Aviation Safety and Security. The training provider does this for all modes at home and abroad, both classroom, online and in-company. In doing so, our consultants support and guide companies to Known Sender or Recognized Agent status and act as external security advisor or external security advisor (BAL) for over 260 organizations working in the secure logistics chain.
