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Over the next few years, the haulage industry faces an enormous skills gap. Businesses, both brick and mortar and online, keep expanding their supply chain and increasing the demand for haulage jobs. But there are simply not enough new drivers entering the business to meet this demand. The situation isn’t helped by the increasing costs of both training and gaining the required accreditation, which is putting off youngsters - especially those facing financial difficulties. Against this background, the importance of getting young people interested in the prospect of haulage jobs is clearer than ever. Think Logistics is an initiative aimed at garnering interest among children of school-leaving age, aspiring to increase the numbers of young people making a career in logistics. Think Logistics has been growing in prominence recently, and is to be featured on Truck World TV. What Does Think Logistics Entail? Think Logistics occurs in three stages, with all of the necessary material available for free on the Think Logistics website. The Introduction Firstly, a representative from a logistics firm visits a school and gives a presentation to a large number of students, usually aiming at 6th form age children who are, or will soon be, thinking about possible career paths to take. This session functions as an introduction, outlining the industry and the haulage jobs available to prospective workers, whether in an operational, administrative or managerial capacity. As well as this, the children are given a few tasks to perform. These tasks help engage them with the presentation and test a range of applicable skills. The Visit Secondly, a smaller number of students who seem especially promising are taken to visit the company. They are shown the cab of an HGV, given a tour and explanation of the warehouse and an explanation of the inner workings of the office. The idea here is to show students considering haulage jobs what they’d be involved with in more detail, and to see which ones still like the idea of a career in logistics. The Placement If at all possible, participating companies are encouraged to carry out the third stage, wherein one or more students are offered a placement at the company. This can be unpaid work experience or a paid internship. This final step is not a necessary part of Think Logistics, but is highly recommended to help get young people excited about the prospect of a career in haulage. Carrying out all three stages is ideal as it helps show prospective hauliers that they are valued and providing a start in the world of logistics. However, if your company is unable to do the final stage it’s still a great idea to do the first two. Not only will it raise the profile of your company among those seeking their first haulage jobs, but it could go some way to filling the impending skills gap and keeping the industry healthy. Additionally, you’ll have the satisfaction of possibly giving young people goals and direction, making Think Logistics a truly worthwhile initiative. Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their website, Haulage Exchange provides services for matching haulage jobs with available drivers. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.
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