A great deal of effort has already gone into making the UK transport industry an attractive career proposition, particularly when talking about the HGV driving sector. Further to this, the government has now launched a new consultation with a view to ‘supercharging’ skills in the industry, as well as addressing diversity.
Marking the beginning of National Apprentice Week 2022, the 12-week consultation will be spearheaded by the newly-formed Transport Employment & Skills Taskforce. It’s one that’s led by President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) – Rachel Skinner who’ll also be focusing on the underrepresentation of women and minorities.
Just 20% of the Current Transport Sector Is Female
Working with industry leaders and representative groups, Skinner will be looking primarily at improving skills in the sector, but also into ways to increase the number of women and minorities working in it.
Right now, only 20% of the transport industry is made up of women and only 9% minorities, with the ICE President having this to say…
“I know how challenging, rewarding and fascinating working within the transport sector can be, particularly at the forefront of our net zero transition.
It’s well-known that a more diverse and inclusive workforce increases creativity, collaboration and productivity, and I’m excited to use my experience to ensure people from underrepresented groups can build brilliant careers in transport.”
“We Want the Brightest & Best to Join the Sector”
Government Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson was keen to point out the need to focus on attracting talent from every part of society, speaking enthusiastically about the role of the taskforce in this quest, saying…
“This taskforce will break down barriers to the leaders of the future who will deliver services that are essential to keep our country and economy moving.”
This positive standpoint was echoed by Sally Gilson – the skills policy lead of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) who said..
“We welcome the consultation, which highlights the wide-ranging skills required, and the need to promote and future-proof the sector.”
Amongst the subjects to be considered during the consultation are five main pillars that include:
- Promoting social mobility, inclusion and diversity
- Improving training & employment
- Raising awareness of the virtues of a career in the transport sector
- Ensuring the future workforce has the right skills
- Building evidence and assessing progress
The consultation itself closes on the 9th of May 2022 at 11.45am.
Contributing to a Larger Talent Pool In the UK
The future of the transport industry in the UK is an uncertain one, but one thing is for sure, success is going to require lots of people with the right skills. We’re fully behind the government’s attempts to attract people from all walks of life and we’re doing our own bit in addressing the current skills gap in the HGV driving sector.
Via our national network of training centres, HGVC offers HGV licence acquisition programs that can cater for any scale and specification. If you’d like to know more about how we can help your organisation circumvent the current driver shortage, please take a moment to browse our website.
Alternatively, so speak to us directly about your driver training needs, call us today on 0330 818 8888 or click ‘contact us’ and send us a message.
