Walton College Students Earn Professional Certification from Forum for International Trade Training

The Global Engagement Office of the Sam M. Walton College of Business in conjunction with the Arkansas World Trade Center Arkansas in Rogers has awarded business students Brandon Bush and Chris B. Traxson the Forum for International Trade Training diplomas. This diploma is earned by taking eight professional classes and passing the corresponding exams in international trade/business topics such as International Market Entry Strategies and International Trade Management.

“The FITT program is a great way to get a broad, comprehensive view of international trade in eight different competencies. It is endorsed by the World Trade Center Association. The curriculum was created by Canadian educators and business executives but has a global perspective. Business professionals and current students have gained a competitive advantage through our classes. You can leave the program with additional skills, knowledge, and a certification. Along with one year of international business experience this can become a credential designation – FITT International Business Professional (FIBP),” explained Laura James, FITT coordinator at the World Trade Center Arkansas in Rogers.

The courses are taught at the World Trade Center Arkansas by professionals and University of Arkansas faculty. Students and professionals from the area attend these classes to gain a competitive advantage in the labor market. “The classes were highly practical, informative, and many of the principles were in line with what I am currently learning in the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas,” said Traxson, a management student.

The FITT program is a great experience for students and professionals. Bush, majoring in both finance and supply chain management, remarked: “While I was taking the FITT courses, I was able to meet and personally connect with a wide range of professionals including Walmart executives, Tyson employees, lawyers, university professors, and many others all with different backgrounds and knowledge.”

Both Bush and Traxson utilized the cost-sharing opportunity offered by the Global Engagement Office in Walton College. Eligible business students can get reimbursed 50 percent of the cost of each course making this an affordable program to enhance their degree and career.

Bush and Traxson are the first Sam M. Walton College of Business students to earn the diploma. Dan Hendrix, the president and CEO of the World Trade Center Arkansas and Laura James, FITT coordinator of the trade center, presented their diplomas at the International Business Club Professional Lecture Series featuring Dan Hendrix in late March.

To learn more about the FITT program, cost-sharing eligibility and to read the full comments from Bush and Traxson, visit http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/geo/fitt.asp.