1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158 
Opportunity knocked
Page 51
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Glance round a typical Road Haulage Association conference and one can count the under-40s on the fingers of two hands, Discuss road haulage problems with a consultant and he will deplore the shortage of trained management in the industry. Listen to educationists, training officers and enlightened transport operators and one will hear of the desperate lack of young blood, and especially potential managers, coming into road haulage. Does all this concern mean something, or is it just hot air?
The question is valid, because this week in London the first National Careers Exhibition is being held, at Olympia, and at an event supported by industries, associations and companies from all branches of national life and trade there is one significant absentee: road transport. British Railways is there: so are BEA, BOAC and the shipping companies, among a host of industrial interests eager to gain the attention of young people as potential future employees. But of road transport exhibitors there is no sign.
It cannot be said that the industry was unaware of the exhibition (with which, one should perhaps add, CM has no connection). The organizers were thorough in their publicity, and are disappointed at the absence of response from both the operating and manufacturing branches of road transport —who were approached, The Training Board and the trade associations each apparently took the view that the other should make the running. The Industrial Transport Association showed interest but took too long to come to a decision.
The exhibition, which runs from December 8 to 15, has a guaranteed attendance of 50,000—almost all of them fourth, fifth and sixth form youngsters—and the total attendance is likely to be over 100,000. More than 1000 careers teachers will be taking groups to Olympia.