The Freight Transport Association (FTA) is staging a Logistics Skills shortage Summit in March to help employers in the logistics industry tackle the problem of recruiting and retaining staff.
According to Manpower UK – recruitment of engineers and technicians is the most difficult with professional drivers being the third. There is currently a shortage of 45,000 HGV drivers in the sector with employers also having problems recruiting in other areas, such as warehousing.
Commenting on the FTA Summit the Department for Work and Pensions Senior Business Sector Manager – Alex Farkas said: “The Department for Work and Pensions looks forward to working with the industry to help it engage with our Jobcentre Plus candidates and promote how Universal Credit can help companies overcome recruitment issues”
The FTA Logistics Skills Summit – Attract, Recruit, Retain, will be held at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 17 March and is a free to attend event with tickets offered on a first come, first served basis. The event follows last year’s successful ‘Driver Crisis Summit’ which attracted more than 600 delegates.
James Hookham, FTA’s Deputy Chief Executive, stated: “The past 12 months have seen a slight improvement in the number of unfilled driver vacancies across the sector, and the Government’s recognition of the need to professionalise the industry through its new HGV Driver Trailblazer Apprenticeships is a huge step forward.
“However, there is still a great deal to be done to make the industry more attractive and to help employers recruit and retain staff. We need to improve the public perception of logistics and make it a desirable place to work. The summit will build on the success of last year’s event and help employers to develop effective strategies for recruitment and retention.”
The summit will feature a number of key speakers and interactive workshops focusing on attracting new talent into the industry; recruiting from specific sectors including school leavers, armed service leavers, EU workers and NEETS (young people not in education, employment or training); and retaining the skills that organisations currently have.
To register for a free place at the Logistics Skills Summit, please visit the FTA website www.fta.co.uk/events
