Source · Select Committees · Committees on Arms Export Controls
Recommendation 21
21
Accepted
Paragraph: 64
Providing exporters with training will always improve compliance results and make the compliance visit process...
Recommendation
Providing exporters with training will always improve compliance results and make the compliance visit process run more smoothly, particularly when companies do not export regularly. We recommend that the Government actively encourage more peer-to-peer, trade bodies or ECJU Awareness training opportunities.
Government Response Summary
The government commits to developing a new engagement strategy to actively seek more peer-to-peer, trade body, and ECJU Awareness training opportunities, including restarting face-to-face events, providing training courses, and improving digital resources.
Paragraph Reference:
64
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Committees are correct to highlight the importance of training in compliance. Under ECJU’s new structure, it will be developing a new engagement strategy, seeking more opportunities for peer-to-peer training with trade bodies, industry and academia through a variety of ECJU Awareness events, online platforms, exporter events and forums. During the pandemic ECJU moved nearly its entire outreach programme online as face-to-face engagement with stakeholders was not permitted. Training sessions and meetings were moved onto MS Teams and tutorials were recorded and uploaded as YouTube videos covering many aspects of the licensing process. This approach proved successful with regular requests for additional tailored sessions being made. Demand for these more tailored sessions remains high. The Business Awareness Unit has since restarted face to face seminars and symposiums up and down the country, which have been well attended. For example, the October 2022 ECJU Annual Symposium in London attracted over 200 exporter, trade association, academia and freight company representatives. ECJU Compliance Unit provided three training courses on Open Licence usage and compliance and were one of the most popular of the eight distinct courses provided, with over 100 people attending this course alone. This was preceded by Compliance Unit presenting at the ECJU Offshore Energy Awareness course in Aberdeen in September 2022. To support exporters in their licence journey, ECJU has also been undertaking a review and refresh of their digital presence on gov.uk and will ultimately simplify our page for exporters to access support, documents and advice in a straightforward and simple way.