Enhancing Our Auditors' Abilities to Detect Forced Labor

We have united with Stronger Together to develop and deploy a new training course to bolster our auditors’ skillset.

As an international organization committed to continuously exceeding quality and professional audit benchmarks, we relentlessly train our global community of auditors, internally and externally, to ensure the highest standards.

Picking the perfect partner

That is why we partnered with Stronger Together, an impact-driven, not-for-profit organization providing practical training, resources, business services and collaborative programs. Together, we developed and deployed the Detecting and Reporting Forced Labor: Guidance for Auditing course to enhance our auditors’ already proficient abilities to detect and report forced labor.

Aiming for the best possible audits

Laurent Corbaz, Global Head of Finance, IT and Operations for Business Assurance, SGS and our representative on the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) Executive Board, said: “As integrity, quality and professionalism are core SGS business principles, we are constantly investing in and exploring the most efficient ways to improve all business areas, especially ensuring that every social auditor is as skilled and knowledgeable as physically possible.

“Stronger Together, whose mission is to ‘work with organizations to achieve a wider vision of a world where all workers are recruited responsibly and have fair work, free from exploitation,’ was the perfect partner to help us build upon our auditors’ existing robust skillset.

“The successful delivery and completion of this training ensures the best-in-class service for our clients and the wider market.”

The training also reconfirms our support of and alignment with APSCA and other social audit schemes seeking to detect serious human rights violations more effectively. As a founding and full APSCA member firm, we have over 800 experienced APSCA-enrolled auditors in over 80 countries.

Jantine Werdmuller von Elgg, Co-CEO of Stronger Together, added: “Stronger Together is committed to partnering where collaboration adds value and increases impact, therefore we were pleased to collaborate with SGS on this crucial eLearning to maximize the potential of our combined expertise.

“Forced labor is often described as a hidden crime as it can be complex to uncover. That is why it is essential for auditors, who may be one of a limited number of external individuals to access work sites and interact with workers, to reinforce their knowledge and skillset to effectively recognize key indicators through skills like appropriate interviewing techniques and are confident in how and where to report concerns.

“We hope our alliance with SGS to produce and make this training public helps auditors to strengthen their abilities to detect and report this human rights abuse, ultimately leading to more cases of exploitation being identified.”

Launching the course worldwide

The initial Detecting and Reporting Forced Labor: Guidance for Auditing course proved so successful that we have launched it publicly as a 90-minute eLearning course. It is now available worldwide and can be purchased by auditing firms committed to upskilling their auditors in this critical risk area, as well as individuals seeking to optimize and demonstrate their awareness and forced labor detection abilities.

The four modules – Introduction, Forced Labor Overview, Spotting the Signs in an Audit, and Reporting and Audit Safeguarding – include interactive exercises to check and reinforce your knowledge.

Upon successful completion of the course and exam, you will be able to:

• Understand forced labor and how to identify it
• Recognize the required steps to prepare for an audit
• Demonstrate increased sensitivity and awareness to engage with workers effectively and enhance interview techniques
• Explain how to report concerns while ensuring the safety of potential victims, yourself and others

The course also cements SGS’s leading position in corporate sustainability. It contributes to the Group’s commitment to solid governance and social impact, including providing seven million training hours to employees, customers and society by 2027.

For more information and to access the training, visit our web page.

About Stronger Together

Stronger Together is an impact-driven, not-for-profit organization that provides organizations with practical training, resources, business services and collaborative programs. It works with many organizations to achieve a wider vision of a world where all workers are recruited responsibly and have fair work, free from exploitation.