Skills survey
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Recent correspondents have highlighted growing concern over the difficulty of recruiting qualified and experienced drivers.
The Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council (RIIDTC) became aware of these driver shortages in some regions of the country following its labour market survey (published in 1995). Clearly, however, this has become a national issue over the past 18 months.
We are preparing a case to put to government for both national arid regional support to accelerate the pace of training for new entrants to the industry (since this is the only way to overcome these labour shortages without attracting back those who have left the industry).
In order to prove our case, we are undertaking a largescale employment skills survey in 10 areas of the country. This will take place over the next three months via questionnaires and/or telephone interviews with some 4,500 employers.
This massive task is being supported by the Department for Education and Employment PEE).
One of the central questions which we must address is to what extent there is an actual shortage of skilled drivers, as opposed to a shortage of drivers who will accept the terms of employment on offer to them.
We would be most interested to hear your readers' views on how the industry could attract and train the number of FIGV drivers that might be needed over the next one or two years—bearing in mind that the 8-10% staff turnover could amount to some 40,00050,000 drivers a year leaving the industry.
Ian Hetherington, Milton Keynes