Firms search for tailored courses Words: Laura Hailstone LOGISTICS FIRMS
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are increasingly opting for bespoke training courses, along with a requirement for soft skills, Professor David Grant at the University of Hull's Logistics Institute has told CM "Over the past few years there's been a shift towards more bespoke or tailored courses. We still get attendance on the open courses but numbers have fallen," said Grant (pictured), associate dean for business engagement at the university.
"I think the days of organisations having a large training budget and sending staff on training courses are [gone]; there is much more of a thought process going on, with companies questioning what exactly it is that they require."
Another trend Grant has seen is businesses requiring a broader skill set from employees.
"Transport firms want people to not just have the technical logistics and supply chain skills, but soft skills too — the non-technical skills that are ideal for leadership and management," said Grant.
Established in 2005 with £20m in funding from Yorkshire Forward (a regional development agency) and the European Regional Development Fund, today the Logistics Institute is self-sufficient.
Aside from the usual teaching and research that you would expect from a university, the Logistics Institute offers business consultancy.
"We can conduct training needs analysis for companies to help them assess their skills requirements, while our commercial team can create bespoke training programmes, delivered inhouse," said Grant.
The institute is one year into delivering a three-year degree programme for Morrisons, which will see 100 of the supermarket's staff complete a foundation degree involving 12 modules covering logistics and leadership. Grant said: "We worked with Morrisons to define the content of the modules. One aspect of the degree is a business improvement project where students work in small groups, looking at specific issues from an operational perspective. They're then assessed on their recommendations and will also have to present their findings to senior management."
Grant said this sort of thing is not a major part of the institute's business but they do get "a lot of repeat business". "We like thinking outside of the box and I'd like the institute to do more of this type of work."
• To find out more about the Logistics Institute, go to: www2.hulLac.uk/hubs/ logistics.aspx