Webinar: Building the FTZ Workforce Pipeline: Integrating FTZs into Int'l Trade Higher Education

Description

In this webinar, we’ll unpack how FTZ integration in higher education is driving workforce transformation. Hear from the University of North Texas and the FTZ community on how educating future professionals with FTZ expertise is a game-changer for economic development. You’ll walk away understanding how this partnership is attracting investment and building tomorrow’s international trade workforce. Don’t miss this forward-looking conversation.

For NAFTZ and its members, this discussion also introduces an important strategic opportunity: ensuring that Foreign-Trade Zones become part of the curriculum in international trade programs across the country. From certificate programs and community colleges to undergraduate and graduate degrees, colleges and universities are continually evolving their programs to reflect real-world trade practices. When FTZ concepts are included in that curriculum, students entering the workforce already have a foundational understanding of how the program supports U.S. manufacturing, global competitiveness, and supply chain strategy. Building that baseline awareness among emerging professionals is a powerful way to strengthen the long-term talent pipeline for the FTZ community.

You’ll hear directly from a professor and student who are exploring FTZs as part of their international trade studies and will share their perspectives on learning about the program and how it connects to real-world trade operations. Their experiences offer a look at how FTZ knowledge can be introduced to the next generation of trade professionals and why it resonates within academic settings.

Finally, an FTZ grantee will discuss why this educational partnership matters from an economic development standpoint. For communities seeking to attract and retain global investment, access to a workforce with international trade knowledge—including an understanding of the FTZ program—can be a meaningful competitive advantage. By connecting higher education, workforce development, and the FTZ community, this conversation highlights a promising pathway to grow awareness of the program while strengthening the talent pipeline that supports FTZ activity across the country.

Learning Objectives

By participating in this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Explain the importance of integrating Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) concepts into higher education international trade programs and how this supports long-term workforce development for the FTZ community.
• Describe how exposure to FTZ concepts during academic training can better prepare students for careers in international trade, logistics, and economic development.
• Understand the economic development value of building a local workforce with baseline FTZ knowledge and how this can strengthen a community’s ability to attract and support globally engaged businesses.

Speakers

Joshua Griffith, FTZ 196

Hanns-Christian Haneback, University of North Texas

Jeff Tafel, NAFTZ

Educational CREDIT

Learn more about AZS and CZS credit eligibility for webinar attendance on their applicable websites.