Home > News > November 2006 > 29 November 2006

Skills for Logistics gets diversity project funding

Skills for Logistics, the Sector Skills Council for the freight logistics industries, has been awarded £1.65 million in funding from the Department for Education and Skills, for its new Women & Work project.

The project is aimed at addressing workforce diversity issues in logistics. Skills for Logistics says the pilot programme will cover three main areas:

* Women into Transport - plans to train 400 new women LGV (HGV) drivers

* Women in Warehousing - aims to develop the roles of 500 women working within warehousing occupations and equipping them for management positions

* Manager Mentoring Programme - the development of a suite of materials that can be used to assist with Continuous Professional Development and career progression trialled with 200 women currently working in junior management roles.

Ian Hetherington, chief executive of Skills for Logistics, said: "Logistics has long been suffering from gender imbalances - women account for only 22% of the logistics workforce in England compared to a national figure of women accounting for 46% of the workforce.

"As a result Skills for Logistics is embarking on a programme to redress the balance and encourage those in the industry to consider working as an HGV driver, providing real career progression opportunities for those in warehousing, and developing a support structure for smaller organisations that currently don't have strong staff development and HR resources."

Women into Transport aims to develop and test innovative HGV training solutions for women. Trainees will be employed by transport companies in non-driving roles at the commencement of the programme or will be recruited with a view to training as an HGV driver. Skills for Logistics says the training will incorporate the following:

• An initial driving assessment and industry induction programme
• Training for and acquiring the HGV licence (Category C)
• Passing the Driving Goods Vehicles National Vocational Qualification (NVQ)

Women in Warehousing aims to design, develop and promote programmes that will develop the skills of women in order to assist in career progression. Skills for Logistics says this work will be carried out in close partnership with the Trade Unions to develop and deliver the programmes to female warehousing operatives. The basis for this programme will be the

National Occupation Standards for Warehousing and Distribution and women participating will have the opportunity to progress to a full Level 2 or Level 3 NVQ and other qualifications where appropriate.

The Management Mentoring programme aims to develop a suite of materials that can be used in companies of all sizes which can be used to assist in the Continuous Professional Development of women in the industry and to maximise the potential of women as managers in the workforce.

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