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Let’s take a look at the initiatives underway to raise awareness of the exciting opportunities a career in logistics holds.
Of course, overall, the UK’s logistics sector is experiencing multiple skills shortages – taking the driver shortage as the most high-profile example. However, as a business, we believe it’s critical to see the issue within the wider framework of fresh talent attraction, particularly among graduates.
Generation Logistics
The logistics sector has teamed up with the government to launch Generation Logistics, an initiative aiming to tackle the industry’s long-term recruitment issues, while futureproofing the talent pipeline. Sponsored by the Department for Transport, Generation Logistics aims to raise awareness among job seekers, while challenging their pre-conceptions about what a career in logistics has to offer. Beginning with a focus on young adults (aged 16-24), the campaign will then branch out to target other potential employee groups, including career swappers and maternity/paternity leave returners.
This should prove a timely campaign. The City & Guilds research referenced above also showed the public’s levels of respect towards key essential sectors, including transport and logistics, has risen by almost 50 per cent since being thrown into the spotlight during the pandemic, improving the sector’s attractiveness as a potential career route.
Improving diversity
A consultation undertaken by the Department for Transport recently concluded that fairer recruitment policies, better parental leave policies and more consistent working patterns are essential for making the transport industry more inclusive and accessible to a wider pool of candidates. Consultation respondents felt that the logistics industry still suffers from something of an ‘image problem’, and that without having visible role models in place to promote careers in the sector, underrepresented groups may find the industry a tricky pool to explore as part of their job searches.
Many positive initiatives have been undertaken to improve diversity across the industry. For example, the Big Logistics Diversity Challenge organisation was founded to develop supply chain professionals’ ability to collaborate and innovate, allowing industry businesses to demonstrate their commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality. It’s clear more needs to be done, however, in terms of perception improvement, as we seek to plug the skills gaps plaguing the sector, taking the conclusions cited above into consideration.
The Rhenus UK graduate programme
Rhenus has always seen training as vital to the future of our people and recent challenges have put a spotlight on the wider industry and the need to improve skills at every level. Fresh talent is vital to forging successful long-term careers in the logistics sector, ensuring we have a knowledgeable, innovative workforce to meet the challenges ahead.
In 2021, Rhenus UK relaunched its graduate programme, designed to invest in the future of the business. Our German parent company is very supportive of our efforts to attract fresh talent, but as an initiative, this is distinctly UK-driven.
Rhenus UK graduates experience an introduction to five divisions of the business, including Transport (Road, Air & Ocean and Supply Chain), High Tech, Home Delivery and Customs. The programme has been designed in this way to combat the ‘silo thinking’ we believe has historically defined the logistics industry – more cross-discipline collaboration is central to future business growth.
A strong grounding
The Rhenus UK graduate training scheme is providing the new starters with a strong grounding in supply chain planning, European and global freight movements, warehouse management, health and safety, customs and developing the knowledge and experience needed to underpin a successful career in logistics management. Each graduate is assigned a mentor to guide them through their first two years, while also benefiting from key placement support contacts in each location. Meanwhile, graduates are kept abreast on future opportunities at each step – for example, Rhenus is headquartered in Germany, and is very much a global brand, with opportunities to work all over the world.
Indeed, overseas working is a highly achievable goal for our graduates, should they wish to pursue it, an option which is proving attractive to our intake. Along with encouraging graduates to take ownership of projects almost immediately, as well as showcasing the long-term benefits of a logistics career is, we have found, key to encouraging the talented people who have brought on board.
An exciting industry
Fresh talent is critical to forging successful long-term careers in the supply chain and logistics industry, ensuring we have a knowledgeable, innovative workforce to meet the challenges ahead. Undoubtedly, working in logistics can be hugely exciting and increasingly seen as a cornerstone of our economy. But it’s down to us as a sector to nurture equal, diverse, inclusive recruitment to help bring the next generation of talent on board. Who wouldn’t be interested in a career in such an exciting, forward-thinking industry?!
