FBJ 4 FREIGHT BUSINESS JOURNAL


CONTACTS SALES


JOHN SAUNDERS - PUBLISHER Tel: +44 (0)151 427 6800 Fax: +44 (0)151 427 1796 Mobile: +44 (0)7932 102026 john.saunders@fj-online.com


RAY GIRVAN Tel: +44 (0)1691 718 045


EDITORIAL


CHRIS LEWIS - EDITOR +44 (0)7778 106433


chris.lewis@fj-online.com MIKE BRYANT PHIL HASTINGS


CIRCULATION


Tel: +44 (0)151 427 6800 circulation@fj-online.com


By Chris Lewis


The nation’s ports, more used to toiling in unheralded obscurity, were rarely out of the headlines in December and January – but of course, it was for all the wrong reasons. So serious were the congestion problems at the main container gateways that the chairs of two Commons select committees, for international trade and transport, felt moved to write to their respective secretaries of state calling for government intervention. They warned that the disruption – initially caused by IT problems with Felixstowe’s vehicle booking system but with knock-on effects quickly spreading to Southampton and London Gateway – had trebled landed container costs in some cases, with ships diverting from UK ports to the Continent. Surely, they asked, with the UK’s extensive port industry somewhere there is capacity that could be used to alleviate Felixstowe congestion. The problem however is not so much a lack of capacity but a capacity in the right places. While northern ports such as Teesport and Liverpool could – and in our view should – play a much greater part in moving the nations imports and exports, in the short term the global container shipping industry is set up to move the lion’s share of all UK boxes through just three major southern hubs. Wheels grind slowly in the shipping industry, and it will take time for operators to change their habitual ports of call and try new gateways. While the Port of Liverpool is now attracting major new deepsea services to its Liverpool2 gateway, the new business has taken quite a while to build up.


No sooner had the deepsea ports disappeared from the front pages (not because the problems had abated, but because the media’s attention was elsewhere) than it was the turn of Dover and the Channel Tunnel. France’s two day halt of all cross-Channel accompanied trucks aſter the UK was found to be harbouring a new version of the Covid virus had the potential to create serious gaps on British shop shelves. Fortunately, the trucks started rolling again aſter a couple of days. But while the immediate crisis was averted, the episode will have done nothing to assuage truck drivers’ already increasing reluctance to visit the UK. It will take a long time to dispel memories of a miserable Christmas spent shivering in a cab on Manston airfield.


ADVERTISEMENT PRODUCTION


LORRAINE CHRISTIAN Tel: +44 (0)151 427 6800 lorraine.christian@fj-online.com


ANDREA CAZZOLATO Tel: +44 (0)151 427 6800 andrea@fj-online.com


With January barely gone, it’s still a little too early to say what effect Brexit will ultimately have on the UK’s supply chain. Yes, there has been a certain amount of disruption, with a number of forwarders and parcels operators suspending deliveries for a time, along with tales in the media of containerloads of meat and foodstuffs being leſt to rot on the quayside because of customs glitches, either electronic or human.


Guest editorial: What


about traineeships? By Adrian Grove, business development director of Qube Learning


HEAD OFFICE


FREIGHT BUSINESS JOURNAL


Saunders Associates Ltd Station House Mersey Road Liverpool UK L17 6AG


Tel: +44 (0)151 427 6800 Fax: +44 (0)151 427 1796 Email: info@fj-online.com Web: www.fj-online.com


Are traineeships worth it? Qube Learning’s statistics show that, categorically, the answer is: ‘yes’. Between March and July last


year we recruited 210 trainees and 82% of these went into work following their traineeship. Our apprentice starts were also up 14% aſter the first lockdown, and of the 228 jobseekers that completed training with us, 42.3% resulted in direct employment. It’s


not just young people


who benefit from traineeships, but employers across freight forwarding. Logistics was in our


top five strongest sectors for placing trainees last year. It can be hard to discern between


a traineeship, an apprenticeship or even the newer Kickstart Scheme. Understandably many find the


terminology confusing. Traineeships are designed to


speedily secure a young person’s progression, whether that’s to an apprenticeship or to further employment by learning within a work environment. They are a first introduction to working life. Apprenticeships are jobs that


FBJ boasts the most informative and authoritative source of information with unrivalled in-depth knowledge of the rapidly changing freight business environment.


As the definitive publication within the sea, air, road and rail freight sectors, each issue includes regular news and analysis, in-depth coverage discovering the business decisions behind the news stories, shipper and exporter reports, opinion, geographical features, political and environmental issues.


If you have any stories or letters which should be of interest or any feedback on FBJ, please contact our editor Chris Lewis - +44 (0)208 6450666 chris.lewis@fj-online.com


next issue >> circulation >>


Our next issue will include features on: : Ireland, Automotive


and Heavyliſt & Project freight. For further details contact: John Saunders - +44 (0) 151 427 6800 john.saunders@fj-online.com


To guarantee your personal copy of FBJ please register by emailing


your details to circulation@fj-online.com or fax back the address cover sheet included with this issue.


Issue 1 2021 - Freight Business Journal From the Editor


///NEWS


FBJ is the only UK and one of the few pan-European Multimodal newspapers. The comments we have received prove there is still room for a hard copy publication within the freighting industry. You don’t have to look at a screen all day!


It’s clear, though, that the UK’s supply lines haven’t gone into complete melt-down, or at least, not yet. Freight traffic is still at a relatively low ebb, because of pre-Brexit stockpiling and caution by traders waiting to see how things bed down, so it’s possible that things will get worse as time goes on. However, the real long term effects of Brexit may be not so dramatic. Rather than vast queues of trucks trying to get across the Channel or Irish Sea becoming a daily occurrence, it could be more of a slow chipping away of trade between the UK and EU and a gradual realignment and reorientation of supply chains to avoid the cost and inconvenience of operating over a customs border.


preparing for a successful career. Traineeships can oſten be a successful route for individuals looking to qualify for an apprenticeship. A


traineeship is a skills


development programme that includes work placement. It is designed for young people aged 16 to 24, unqualified or qualified up to a Level 3 (A level or equivalent) whose preference is a job or apprenticeship but may lack skills and experience. Unlike an apprenticeship, a traineeship is a learning and skills development programme, not a job. In July, the Chancellor provided


30,000 new traineeships, and employers could also access a new work placement incentive of up to £1,000 per learner for up to ten trainees in over nine regions. Traineeships offer many benefits


provide high quality training, to employers. A high-quality


traineeship, partnered with a training provider, ensures a tailored programme to suit the business’ needs. Enthusiastic young people give the workforce renewed energy. The training provider helps save your own time and energy too. Working with trainees will also


help established staff develop mentoring and coaching skills. Traineeships will allow you to


shape the skills and experience of young people from your local community, helping to develop a loyal and talented workforce and establish a positive reputation.


It


helps attract the best talent and can be a great PR boost. And what about apprenticeships?


There are many benefits for employers. In our recent survey, 81% of employers said that apprentices made their businesses more productive.


Apprenticeships can reduce


training and recruitment costs while developing your workforce, while improving customer satisfaction. They can enhance an individual’s confidence by developing their skills. To ensure that apprentices qualify fully equipped for their chosen field, candidates are monitored against set standards. Employers taking on apprentices


will be given incentives ranging from £1,500 to £3,000 depending on their age. Apprenticeships are not just for


new staff but for upskilling existing employees. If neither traineeships or


apprenticeships sound right, then the Kickstart Scheme might


be


appropriate. Funding can cover up to 100% of wages, and can also be used to cover employer National Insurance contributions.


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