Logistics Combines Force To Attract More New Talent

Logistics and Supply Chain News

We have before spoken about the problem the logistics industry has with bringing young and talented people in. Many organisations have tried to solve it on their own but now Logistics UK, CILT, the UK Government, private logistics organisations and trade bodies are uniting to make it happen on a national level. We spoke with Phil Roe, President at Logistics UK, about Generation Logistics, a 12 month campaign aimed at making the industry more visible and  interesting.

‘The campaign has come from the desire to raise awareness about the great careers and job opportunities within the logistics industry,’ begins Phil Roe, President at Logistics UK, one of the UK’s largest organisations, supporting logistics.

First Campaign

Generation Logistics will start with a 12 month campaign aimed at bringing the focus of young people and those seeking new job opportunities to the logistics market. The campaign will begin by focusing on people between the ages of 16 and 25, but later on will also bring onboard everyone who is either interested or seeking a new challenge.

‘During the pandemic the profile of the industry started to increase,’ comments Roe but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. This really comes to light after watching some of the short videos the campaign has published on its website interviewing people about what logistics is. Many are unable to answer or just have the wrong concept. Roe acknowledges the challenges and the lack of understanding. According to a research by Logistics UK 12% of people would really want to work in the industry. Another 12% said they would never work in logistics. This leaves a huge pool of people who are either not aware of what the sector has to offer or have never thought about it.

The Goal

Roe believes that through bringing logistics professionals’ stories to the front, the campaign will be able to achieve its main objective. By the end of the 12 months Generation Logistics hopes to have achieved 600 000 visits on its website and a better understanding of what logistics is and the careers it offers. The campaign has attracted the attention of large organisations like Amazon and National Highways, as well as other large players on the logistics market including DHL, Wincanton and more. In total 26 companies and 15 trade bodies are coming together to ease the pressure they all feel when it comes to finding workers. The UK government is also involved by sponsoring the campaign.

‘We will be targeting people directly through social media,’ Roe explains when asked about how campaigns will be executed. ‘We do not believe this has really been done before in a collaborative way across the industry.’ The website for the campaign is described as a ‘360° Curiosity’. Visitors are able to learn more about the sector as a whole and about leading organisations in it. Included is also information about job opportunities. Through a game visitors can find what is the most suitable area in the industry for them.

Next Campaigns

In early 2023 Generation Logistics will move its focus to job changers and people who want a new career.

The campaign is looking specifically outwards but Roe also points at the work logistics organisations have done inwards to improve conditions. ‘Logistics has many organisations with different shapes and sizes within it,’ he goes on. ‘We do not seek to dictate the agenda within individual organisations. We are interested in attracting people who do not work in logistics.’

Roe underlines Generation Logistics is not a recruitment agency or website. The main goal is to bring the sector in front of people and showcase what jobs and careers it can offer to both graduates and well-experienced people. ‘All areas we are looking at will need talent as we go forward,’ Roe continues. ‘Some areas of the country are better than others but there is a lot of work to get to the levels the industry needs.’

‘If you look at our Job Board there are many jobs in transportation but there are many more in Sales, Account Management, Finance and more,’ Roe finishes.

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