Ministers recognise industry’s importance
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By Steve Hobson
TRANSPORT AND logistics has inally been recognised as vital to the government’s growth strategy by senior ministers, according to chief executive of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) Geoff Dunning (pictured).
Dunning was invited earlier this month to represent the transport sector at a high-level meeting of a dozen major employers, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and employment minister Chris Grayling, to discuss ways to boost skills and employment.
“Grayling in particular was interested in logistics, and it’s clear that the word is now in the government’s vocabulary,” says Dunning. “We’re inding the departments for business and skills and work and pensions, the Treasury and the Department for Transport now understand that logistics has to be part of the growth agenda.” Last year, Clegg announced a £1bn programme to tackle youth unemployment, including a £50m programme to get the 25,000 of the most disadvantaged 16and 17year-olds onto an apprenticeship or into work, and incentives for irms to take on a further 20,000 apprentices of that age group.
Smallto medium-sized employers will be key to hitting these targets, and the RHA is to look at how its members can take advantage of the government funding on offer to ill the looming shortage of HGV drivers. “Over the next year I am going to be looking at the driver population, how it’s going to change and what we’re going to need by way of replacement drivers,” says Dunning. “Everyone is talking about the high average age of drivers and how many will be leaving the industry. Seeing the government support and interest was encouraging.”