Patron News

HGV Driver Shortage: on

the road to recovery

Elaine Bowker Principal and CEO at The City of Liverpool College

The relationship between education and industry is more vital than ever, with so many opportunities for us to bridge skills gaps, innovate and alter our curriculum and offering, to reflect the needs of our economy. It has been widely reported in recent months that the HGV driver shortage is at crisis point – affecting our supply chains and in turn, our daily lives, creating scarcities in supplies of everything from fuel to food. With the shortage now estimated at 100,000, the knock-on effect is tangible.

According to the Road Haulage Association, it was Brexit – which prompted thousands of EU lorry drivers to leave the UK – and a lack of driver training and tests during the pandemic that had led to the “desperate shortage”.

In response to this and to help tackle the skills shortage, the Department for Education has introduced HGV driver Skills Bootcamps across the country as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, supporting up to 11,000 people into careers in the logistics sector. At The City of Liverpool College, we will be delivering these free Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving in partnership with Northwest Education and Training Ltd (NWEAT), as part of our efforts towards upskilling and re-skilling people in the Liverpool City Region and supporting our local economy.

According to reports, the shortage of qualified HGV drivers in the UK has seen salaries increase to attract new drivers, with typical wages now between £35,000 and £50,000. So, now is the perfect time to consider a career in logistics.

Skills Bootcamps in HGV driving are free, flexible, intensive courses designed to train drivers to be road ready and gain their licence, offering people the chance to launch well-paid careers in the logistics sector. Those that successfully complete the HGV courses are guaranteed a job interview with an employer, and the first drivers are expected to be on the road from March 2022.

The Skills Bootcamps are part of The City of Liverpool College’s work towards addressing the needs of employers and the wider economy, delivering targeted interventions to meet demands to fill vacancies and drive productivity.

Working in partnership with Northwest Education and Training Ltd, we will provide high quality training to give people the knowledge and skills to pass industry tests. Through the course, which will run for up to 16 weeks, participants will also acquire the appropriate licences to work as an HGV driver, or for qualified HGV drivers to acquire specialist HGV qualifications.

It’s a privilege to be able to deliver this training in a sector that needs support, especially with the shortages this vital industry is currently facing. It is incredibly important to us that we play our role in getting people the skills they need to be ready for the world of work, so it’s fantastic that we’re able to provide this opportunity.

These Bootcamps will support our economy to address the skills gap, raising aspirations and supporting social mobility, as well as helping to reduce the impact of this shortage on the wider economy.