A missed opportunity

On 2 May 2023 the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education published its report following its transport and logistics route review.

Unfortunately, what was a promising initiative from the institute does little to encourage the sector to increase the number of apprentices it engages.

It is claimed that it is the employers who are at the heart of the work that the institute does, but the outcomes and recommendations do not reflect the views I hear from the employers involved in the Trailblazer Group.

The review commenced in September 2022, with public consultation in the form of a 20-question online questionnaire, along with employer/stakeholder webinars for each mode of transport plus warehousing.

It was evident that the Department for Education had set an agenda with two principal themes – decarbonisation and new technology. While both are important challenges for the sector to resolve, there is limited attention given to the real issues apprentices are going to face in their new roles.

Principals/characteristics

A major outcome from the review is the establishment of nine route principals and characteristics:

 equity, diversity and inclusion;

 safety and regulation;

 customer experience;

 continuous improvement;

 decarbonisation and sustainability;

 business ethics;

 security;

 wellbeing and welfare;

 data skills.

While these are all worthy attributes to be incorporated within the apprentice’s learning – and it is reassuring to see the recognition of the importance of the customer – there is no mention of efficiency, productivity, cost control or profitability. From my first day in transport, and for the whole of the 50 years I spent in the industry, I was aware of the business culture and the bottom line. This is something the apprentice will soon recognise and it should therefore be part of the training plan.

One practical example the institute could review to improve ethnic diversity would be that of the

English qualification for apprentices. Within the sector we now have many warehouse operatives who do not have English as their first language, yet they train to become competent warehouse staff without an apprenticeship.

Recommendation

A welcome recommendation is a review of the names of some of the pathways to be more reflective of the roles and occupations in the sector. How many transport operations supervisors do you know? And how does that compare with the number of transport managers you have met?

Not surprisingly, the consultation showed an increase in demand for Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeships, but the review focuses more on the potential for higher-level apprenticeships and technical qualifications. Again, while it is important to provide for higher technical education in the sector in the future, little consid- eration was given to the skills shortages currently facing us.

Much of the dialogue regarding the review referred to the maritime and air sub-sectors of the logistics industry – but they represent less than 9% of all apprenticeship starts since the levy was introduced. The road freight transport and logistics sub-sectors originate more than 63% of all apprenticeship starts but had far less consideration in the review.

By the end of April 2023, the transport and logistics sector will have contributed £1bn in Apprenticeship Levy since its introduction in April 2017. The sector has recovered only about £290m of that fund from transport and logistics apprenticeships.

Conclusion

The route panel review provided the opportunity for the institute to invite more employers to use apprenticeships and attract more apprentices to the sector in order to solve the long-term skills shortage we are undoubtedly going to face.

Unfortunately, it did not address the Education and Skills Funding Agency rules that prevent certain essential costs being recovered in the funding level of an apprenticeship. As a result, the depressed funding levels have discouraged both employers and training providers from offering some transport and logistics apprenticeships.

Nor did it look at the longwinded and bureaucratic processes that stifle the development of new apprenticeships or the review of existing ones.

As a sector, we need to raise the level of lobbying to the Department for Education in order to have the means to attract the workforce we need for the future – and recover the money we have overpaid in levy.