NEWS\\\ >> 10


investing in


Issue 8 2020 - Freight Business Journal


the key to staff retention.


In order to build a strong


team, business owners need to be helping employees find their strengths and develop within the company, which oſten means


training


and supporting them through qualifications. This is particularly important


due to constant developments within the sector. For example, Brexit has


had a massive impact on the industry and as a result, job


roles have changed to reflect the new legislations that have come into force. This has meant many professionals, including company directors, have had to be put through intense training courses to prepare them for what lies ahead.


Without this, fulfilling the


requirements needed to keep the supply chain going during a global pandemic would be impossible. As a company, having


experienced first-hand the success of apprentices, we want


to do more to encourage more business owners to consider widening their horizons when it comes to recruitment. The effects that the pandemic


is going to have on the industry, and indeed the wider economy, are currently unclear, but what


11


is clear is the need to make changes now, so the future of our industry remains in safe hands. For more information about


how the logistics sector can help overcome people and skills challenges, visit https://www. talentinlogistics.co.uk/


It’s a tough call, with Covid-19 disrupting many freight forwarders’ daily operations,


but now is the


time to step up apprentice recruitment, says the British International Freight Association (BIFA). Just a few weeks ahead of


the end of the Brexit transition period, it has been suggested that an extra 50,000 private- sector customs agents will be needed to meet additional demands for customs clearance and a recent survey of BIFA members showed that a staggering 65% feel they don’t have enough staff to cope. However, this surge in


demand for customs-trained staff has coincided with a sharp decline in the number of


apprenticeships starting


this year, mainly because of


Covid-19. evidence Anecdotal suggests that


International Freight Forwarding Apprenticeship starts are likely to be down by 66%. Forwarding businesses will have many difficult commercial decisions to make, but shelving apprenticeships should not be one of them, BIFA firmly believes. Director general Robert Keen argues: “It is vital to continue to recruit freight forwarding apprentices and build capacity to start equipping a new generation with the knowledge and skills to face the challenges ahead in


the post Brexit and post


Covid-19 world.” The fall-off in apprenticeships is not just a freight industry


problem. Government statistics show a sharp fall- off in apprenticeship starts across the entire country. The disruption caused to colleges and businesses meant many apprenticeships were unable to start or continue. However, for the freight industry the issue is even more acute because of the expected upsurge in its workload when the Brexit transition comes to an end in January. BIFA’s training development


manager, Carl Hobbis said: “We are at an important crossroads and we must protect the future of the sector as we step ever closer to the end of the transition period.” He says that the International


Freight Forwarding specialist apprenticeship, which BIFA


Truckers’ friend highlights crime hotspots


The Motorway Buddy app overnight truck parking app has been enhanced with Police theft and vehicle interference data to identify safer options. The upgrade has been


made possible by a unique partnership between Motorway Buddy, freight industry insurer TT Club and NaVCIS Freight, part of the Police National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service. Theft and incident data is


used to produce a ‘heat map’ illustrating vulnerable parking locations that is overlaid onto Motorway Buddy’s existing search engine for overnight parking. Many crimes are not


reported to the Police, but the app also allows


drivers


to upload their own reports of suspicious incidents and this information will be disseminated via subsequent updates. TT Club managing director of


loss prevention Mike Yarwood said that fuel syphoning can be a particular problem and was often unrecoverable as the value is below the excess stipulated on many insurance policies. However, the cumulative cost and other less serious damage to vehicles can be significant. Over 300 truck stops,


frequently used lay-bys and other informal parking sites


are covered by the app and the new ‘heat map’ which emphasises the risks of using informal, unsecured areas. So far this year, out of over 3,200 cases handled by NaVCIS, 51% occurred in such locations but anecdotal evidence points to an even greater proportion.


helped create in 2018, is an ideal entry point for the industry with more than 430 apprentices already having taken the pathway, with great success. The possibilities through


learning


for online Zoom, MS


teams and similar soſtware are virtually endless and the need for social distancing is no barrier to successful education, he adds. Nor should available finance be an issue. Extra funding is now available as


part of the


government’s support scheme for training and apprenticeships,


with businesses being offered £2,000 for every new under-24 apprentice they hire up to 31 January 2021. This is in addition to the existing £1,000 already provided for new 16-18 year old apprentices and those under 25 with an education, health and care plan. For those aged 25 and over, £1,500 is available. The Covid-19 crisis will also not


prevent National Apprenticeship Week from taking place on 8-14 February 2021. The annual event will shine a light on the amazing work being done by employers and apprentices across the


country. Firms of all sizes will show how they have stepped up to the challenge during this unprecedented time. Carl Hobbis concludes: “Now,


more than ever we need to promote the industry and give young people employment opportunities. We have had an apprenticeship standard for international freight forwarding for nearly three years and the sector has been in the news more than ever, so what a great time to encourage someone to consider a career in forwarding and logistics.”


Miniver is a bicycle ambulance rider with the MAMaZ Against Malaria programme, Zambia


In times like these, functioning supply chains are more important than ever.


We have never been prouder to be a part of the transport and logistics industry. From keeping


supermarket shelves stocked to delivering vital medicines, the industry’s response to meet the demands of the Covid-19 pandemic has been truly incredible.


Transaid is also rising to the challenge by helping rural Zambian communities like Miniver’s tackle Covid-19.


Join our journey: transaid.org Registered charity number 1072105. Patron: HRH The Princess Royal.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36