Collaboration plan to tackle logistics skills shortage

Four industry bodies have agreed to work together to promote the logistics sector in light of the industry’s driver and technician shortage.

The move follows talks on collaboration between The Freight Transport Association, the Road Haulage Association, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Institute of Road Transport Engineers.

The joint organisation will be formalised by the end of September and will build on lessons learned from the FairFuelUK campaign, a collaborative body that lobbies against rises in fuel duty. The FTA and RHA are both founder members.

“We are delighted to announce we have agreed to form a joint organisation to promote our industry. We are in a battle for talent and facing a skills shortage so we need to up our game to attract young people, ethnic minorities and women to our industry – areas where we are seriously under-represented,” said FTA chief executive David Wells.

RHA CEO Richard Burnett said: “As organisation the RHA already works hard to give road transport operators a voice. By collaborating with the FTA, CILT and IRTE to raise the profile of the industry, we can make that voice even stronger”.

CILT CEO Steve Agg said: “We want to promote the public’s appreciation of our industry, in all its forms, as well as attract more people to join our profession and therefore feel that it is vital we work with other leading industry partners to raise our industry’s profile.”

IRTE acting CEO Ian Chisholm said: “The UK’s road transport sector is the backbone of its economic infrastructure. We must continually look at where we are with regards to how we promote road transport, and who we attract to this vital industry.”

Source: logisticsmanager.com