Coffee company complete Chamber's international trade training course

A team from the Jacobs Douwe Egberts Coffee company have completed their Foundation Award in International Trade in a course organised by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC).

JDE’s training needs were discussed in December 2022 by the company’s planning and logistics manager and Birmingham Chambers’ training manager Leah Quarmby.

Key areas and topics were identified resulting in the team undertaking six of the available 11 British Chambers of Commerce training modules tailored to their needs over three months at their premises. 

Modules included understanding trade commodity codes and Import procedures.

All members of the team gained their Foundation Awards in International Trade, a nationally-recognised qualification.

At JDE the team manage a global network of raw materials, semi-finished and packaged coffee imports and exports. Following Brexit, supply chain management became significantly demanding and after two years of adapting to the changes they decided it was time for formal training.

The team said: “Leah, in conjunction with our manager, were brilliant to work with. They were attentive in listening to our needs, asking lots of questions to propose the best six modules to cover our requirements. We went for bespoke training, which meant their manager was able to tailor the content to the world of coffee and allow for plenty of time to discuss our specific challenges, which was extremely useful.”

Leah Quarmby said: “I am thrilled that JDE chose our Chamber to become their training facilitator, giving us the opportunity to provide help and support and achieve the overall goal they were aiming for.

I am even more thrilled that the team found the learning beneficial to each attendee.

“Tailoring a training package to suit the needs of a whole team can sometimes be challenging, but equally rewarding once we have mapped out a clear outline of requirements of each individual.

“Helping companies overcome their obstacles whether that is in international trade or other areas is what we are always aiming to do.

“Our team is always on hand to discuss packages that are suitable for businesses and will continue to do so long into the future.”

To find out more about the Chambers’ training courses, email [email protected]