In less than five years, over 100 Canadian Trade Commissioners have worked their way through the FITTskills online training program. Another 65 are currently training. FITTskills focuses on best practices in international business, and helps develop practical knowledge and skills that global trade professionals can apply to their jobs immediately.
The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) and its globally stationed team of Trade Commissioners provides practical advice on foreign markets to help people working in international trade make better, more timely and cost-effective decisions to achieve their business goals.
This November another 25 Trade Commissioners will begin the FITTskills program in an intensive one-week pilot project. This intensive program will include FITT’s Global 
Supply Chain Management, International Trade Finance, Legal Aspects of International Trade and International Trade Management courses. Delivered in class at the TCS Bisson language facility in Gatineau, QC, the program will be led by Alexander Malaket, CITP, President, OPUS Advisory Services International Inc., and experienced FITTskills contributor.
Is the FITTskills program for you?
Developed by business for business, FITTskills meets the needs of those who are
- seeking to enhance their import-export career standing,
- new to exporting or importing,
- and those who simply want add to their expertise or gain valuable educational credits.
An invitation to partake in this opportunity went out to all Trade Commissioners at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) headquarters. And since completing four FITTskills courses in one week is no easy task, the Trade Commissioners selected to take the program will need to meet a certain standard. Participants will be selected by a sub-committee based on a set of criteria included in their application forms.
“I’ve asked all of the applicants to include an explanation of why we should support their request to join this program,” said a representative from DFATD. “We’ll receive their applications, evaluate them based upon the criteria we listed, and we’ll make our selections.”
In 2011, FITT worked with the TCS to set up a streamlined pathway for all Trade Commissioners working through the online FITTskills program. Through this pathway—which is similar to FITT’s Professional Pathway—Trade Commissioners are eligible to apply for up to 4 course credit exemptions based on the recognized knowledge, skills and experience these individuals already possess. This new intensive one-week program will align with the streamlined pathway.
We wanted to come up with a program that would enable the Trade Commissioners working at headquarters to complete the FITTskills program in an even shorter period of time. This will get them through the training more quickly so they can get back on the job and start applying everything they’ve learned.
Many Trade Commissioners go on to apply for their Certified International Trade Professional (CITP) designation after completing the FITTskills program—the education requirement for the designation. Nearly 50 have already earned their designation.
At the beginning of next year, the TSC hopes to run this intensive FITTskills program again for even more Trade Commissioners at headquarters. And Trade Commissioners posted across Canada and abroad are always eligible to work through the TCS’s streamlined FITTskills program using FITT’s online courses.
If you’re a Trade Commissioner interested in participating in this intensive FITTskills program, contact Nancy McNiven at nancy.mcniven@international.gc.ca.
Have experience and past education in international trade and wondering if you can start on FITT’s Professional Path to completing FITTskills and earning your CITP designation? Visit the Professional Path to the CITP designation page on FITTforTrade.com, or contact us at info@fitt.ca.
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