SKILLS SHORTAGE
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State of labour market is major concern The Ofワce for National Statistics (ONS) says the claimant count in March 2011 for HGV drivers was down 33% nationally year-on-year, and down 52% compared with March 2009. However, compared with March 2008, the claimant count for HGV drivers for March 2011 is up 124%. It is a similar story for fork-lift truck drivers (127% up on 2008) and mechanical engineers (191% up). All these figures indicate that the logistics sector has yet to recover to pre-recession activity levels.
An FTA spokesman says: “26% of respondents to our Quarterly Transport Activity Survey (QTAS) said they made redundancies in Q1 2011, although it is now heading downwards with only 14% considering redundancies in Q2 2011.” Although the labour market is easier, FTA is still concerned that a skills shortage could threaten the industry. ONS data from 2008 shows that of the 309,100 HGV drivers in the UK in 2008, only 2% were under 25 and 53% of drivers are 45 or over. Some of those laid off will leave the industry – most typically, those who are young enough to start a second career.
“It’s the second most persistent concern we hear from members – after fuel prices – that they are not getting the quality of management or entry level applicants they need,” says MD James Hookham.