Bridging the skills shortage gap

Skills shortages are a serious issue in the freight industry, but, as the Freight Transport Association explains, training and apprenticeships are just two ways with which the problem can be addressed.

Skills shortages in the logistics industry continue to be a serious problem for freight operators, whether they’re trying to fill vacancies for truck drivers, vehicle engineers or warehouse staff. There’s currently a shortfall of 45,000 HGV drivers across the industry and members of the Freight Transport Association (FTA) – the UK’s biggest transport trade body – consistently report issues with recruiting and retaining staff.

Long delays
FTA’s latest member survey highlighted driving posts as the toughest to recruit, with three quarters of respondents reporting problems filling vacancies. More than a quarter said they had experienced long delays in replacing staff and even found it challenging to recruit agency drivers to bridge the gap. The Association has identified that the image of the industry is a key factor in recruitment, but so too are the facilities that drivers encounter throughout the UK.

It is working hard to tackle both issues through a number of measures including lobbying government, engaging with stakeholders and staging high profile events.

Last year, FTA held a national Driver Crisis Summit which attracted more than 600 people from across the industry. Speakers including MP Rob Flello addressed the audience on the urgent need to make logistics a more aspirational career.

Skills Summit
Following last year’s event, FTA is holding a free to attend Skills Summit at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena on 17 March to explore what progress has been made and what more can be done. Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss how the profile and perception of the industry can be changed and there will be a series of panel sessions and masterclasses featuring vital information on issues surrounding school leavers, jobseekers, foreign workers, armed service leavers and retaining the skills that organisations currently have.

Encouraging young people into the sector is a key focus and FTA has sponsored Think Logistics, an industry-led initiative that encourages those working in logistics to visit schools and colleges to talk about the career opportunities that exist. The Association is also encouraging its own staff to support the initiative, and will take part in the Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC in November for the second year running to showcase the many logistics careers on offer to young people.

FTA was instrumental in getting government approval for an apprenticeship for truck drivers in December: Minister for Skills Nick Boles MP rubber-stamped the HGV Driver Standard after a third submission for consideration.

Essential role
June Powell, FTA’s director of operations, said: “Apprenticeship schemes have an essential role to play in order to encourage young people to enter a career in logistics. But much still needs to be done to make the industry more attractive and to help employers recruit and retain staff.”

The average age of a professional lorry driver is 48 and apprenticeships are vital if young people are to be drawn to the industry. But cost is also a factor and FTA wants the government to offer student-style loans to make HGV driver training more affordable.

Sally Gilson, FTA’s skills policy development manager, said: “One thing we think the government can really focus on is introducing vocational loans – a funding system similar to student loans – because that will allow people to take their licences off their own backs or companies can use it as a way of sponsoring people through their licences.”

The issue was raised in January when FTA chief executive David Wells gave evidence to a Transport Select Committee hearing into skills and workforce planning in the road haulage sector. He pressed members to explore licence acquisition funding and also raised other issues including the image of the industry and facilities for truck drivers.

There is a shortage of lorry parks and truck stops across the country, which means drivers are forced to stop at the roadside. This attracts complaints from local residents about litter and unsafe parking.

Better facilities
FTA is campaigning for better facilities to enable drivers to park safely and securely to take their required rest periods – something that was echoed by truck driver Jenny Tipping at last year’s summit.

She said: “Where you create an image of the industry by providing poor facilities it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – you get the drivers that you cater for. If you provide better facilities then you are going to get better people wanting to stay in the industry, and that doesn’t matter whether it’s male or female.”

Professionalising the industry is crucial if young people are to be inspired to consider careers in logistics and, as well as helping to develop a new apprenticeship, FTA has created a qualification for transport managers.

The Commercial Fleet Manager Qualification (FMQ) – the first of its kind in the industry – seeks to improve and formalise the skills of fleet managers and is the first step in FTA’s planned suite of qualifications in partnership with City and Guilds.

James Hookham, deputy chief executive, said: “FTA plans to create a flexible range of fleet management qualifications that offer exceptional industry standards. We need nationally-recognised qualifications that will enable people to demonstrate transferable skills to move across sectors.

“Currently most training is done in-house and is not recognised by other companies or sectors, which makes it difficult for people to progress. That needs to change.”

Ongoing crisis
In the past, fleet managers have turned to employment agencies to supply temporary drivers to meet peak demand periods such as Christmas. But the ageing driver population and fewer young people entering training has created an ongoing crisis in the industry.

The situation has been exacerbated by the introduction of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC). Many drivers nearing the end of their careers opted to retire early or move to other driving work not requiring a DCPC rather than complete the training following the September 2014 deadline.

All HGV drivers in scope of the regulation are required to have completed 35 hours approved training and be in possession of a Driver Qualification Card (DQC) issued by DVLA. Most transport operators cover the cost of DCPC training for their permanent employees, but this is not the case for freelance agency drivers who face having to fund it themselves on top of the licence acquisition fee of around £3,000. For many, the cost is prohibitive – hence FTA’s appeal to the government to offer vocational loans as a springboard.

Accredited Driver CPC training
FTA recognises the importance of qualifications to build a more professional public image of the industry and to create a clear career path with transferrable skills. It has also developed its own accredited Driver CPC training which sets exceptionally high standards and is available for members to deliver through their own in‑house training, saving time and money.

The Association is also keen to recognise the exceptional skills of those already working in the industry and has launched its Driver of the Year competitions for 2016. Previously open only to van drivers, the contest now has two classes for drivers of 18 and 44-tonne trucks too.

The contests will be held at Mercedes-Benz, Wentworth Park, near Barnsley, from 12 to 14 July and the overall winner will receive a £1,000 holiday voucher. FTA members and Van Excellence accredited operators can register themselves or their drivers at www.fta.co.uk.

Register for a free place at the FTA Skills Summit – Attract, Recruit, Retain – and view the full programme at:
http://www.fta.co.uk/events/FTA_summit_addressing_the_skills_shortage.html

Further details about FTA’s Driver CPC and other training courses are available on 03717 11 22 22.

Further Information
events/driver-of-the-year-2016.html