Employers of lorry drivers must plan ahead to prevent a recruitment crisis. That's the message from a survey released by Skills for Logistics, which reveals one LGV driver in six is currently aged 55 or over.
With almost one-fifth of drivers leaving the industry each year due to retirement or ill health and fewer than one tenth of vacancies being filled by staff new to the driving industry, current recruitment trends could be concealing future problems for the industry if an aging workforce is not being replaced by younger, new recruits.
Ian Hetherington, Skills for Logistics chief executive, believes diversity and training could hold the key to attracting and retaining staff. He said: "We know that companies who offer continual professional development schemes have a lower rate of staff turnover.Employers need to offer something extra to set them apart from the crowd.
"This could help attract more women to the industry. Just because companies are finding it easy to recruit staff now they can't afford to think that will always be the case."
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- 27 November, 2008
FWD Annual Dinner & Gold Medal Awards
