At the start of the Covid19 lockdown, the DVSA suspended testing of new LGV drivers and no new drivers have entered the industry since that date. Unfortunately the DVSA has still not confirmed when LGV driving tests will resume, leading to fears that the transport industry will soon see a worsening of the driver shortage.
At Skills for Logistics we felt it was particularly important to engage directly with the 150 plus LGV training providers across the UK, by conducting a survey asking whether the LGV training sector can bounce back to tackle the back log of 20,000 + lost driving tests.
We’ve been working closely with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE), and our industry external quality assurance provider, NSAR,to agree an alternative means of delivering EPA’s in a safe manner during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Skills for Logistics is now pleased to announce that with immediate effect we are in a position to commence remote delivery of EPA for LGV Driver apprenticeships. Our assessment methodology, agreed with IFATE and NSAR, is based on the following plan:
Knowledge test – via our own bespoke online portal
Practical driving observation – via witness testimonies, supported by Professional Discussion
As an end-point assessor our main focus is apprenticeships. The work we do is predicated on the advice and regulations laid out by the government. In many respects, these new apprenticeship standards, the levy, the shift in definitions, expectations and opportunities resemble one large experiment.
We, like many other in the education sector, are excited by the potential and are starting to see good numbers of apprentices go through end-point assessment.
We are also seeing businesses move past perceiving the Levy as merely an additional tax. Critically in our sector, logistics, we finally have a vocational training opportunity that could help resolve the skills crisis.
If you were not already aware, Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) drivers alone have an average age of 53 in the UK and, depending on who you listen to, hundreds of thousands of new recruits are needed to address shortages by 2024.
However, there are real issues affecting the viability of this experiment. Businesses are opting for higher level apprenticeships, which is resulting in an overspend of the apprenticeship budget. I’m sure there are many reasons contributing to this situation but here is what we’ve observed in our sector…
The 6th April 2019 marked the 2 years anniversary of the apprenticeship levy coming into effect and I believe it has taken quite literally that amount of time for most employers and stakeholders to fully understand it.
Working with The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute), we can see the direct impact the new standards are having on employer behaviour and how apprenticeships are being embedded into workforce planning and talent pipelines. As Anne Milton highlighted, apprenticeships bring new blood into businesses, they promote local talent and upskill the existing workforce.
Going forward, there is still a lot to do, particularly with non-levy payers and entry level standards. I know the government want to see the Institute become much more transparent and to build more open and fluid relationships with employers, and the Institute to be viewed as facilitators rather than just a regulator.
I see my role at the Institute very much as an ambassador and certainly engaging as much as possible with employers and training providers – encouraging full usage of the levy pot. If not this route, then definitely to promote the opportunity to transfer 25% to connected businesses in oppose to losing it month by month.
We had the pleasure of meeting Martin Corner at the
Automotive Logistics Summit, Martin is the Vice President of Supply Chain
Management for Nissan Europe. We spoke about management effectiveness,
specifically within the logistics sector and Martin was kind enough to do an
interview with us here at Skills for Logistics to elaborate further.
How
have you seen the logistics sector transform over your career?
The transformational use of analytics and
forecasting have really optimised the supply chain end to end, it’s just at the
beginnings for the automotive sector.
What
are the changes you see for the future workforce of logistics and supply chain?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology will start
to take over the administrative and data management side of the role. Once this happens it will allow the supply
chain team to become more focussed on business management. The future
requirements of a supply chain professional will be influencing skills,
communication, strategic business acumen and leadership. It will be an opportunity for a new
generation of supply chain professionals to develop a fulfilling career.
When
we last spoke, we discussed the importance of empathy in management style,
could you elaborate further?
In my opinion, respecting the strengths and style
of the individual and giving them the encouragement to flourish and be the best
version of themselves yields the best results.
Listening and giving people the space to define their own ideas and solutions,
rather than prescribing your own ideas, drives motivation through teams and
individuals.
How
do you feel good management has influenced your career?
Hugely, when you have a manager who; trusts,
respects, listens, supports, challenges constructively (crucial point) and adds value with suggestion and guidance, it
makes a significant difference. Being given the space to go beyond your
objectives and drive change is hugely motivating – the right line manager is
crucial in making this happen.
What management paths do you think are
available for the supply chain & logistics sector that maybe aren’t being
utilised currently?
I think that people pursuing a career in this
sector have an opportunity to grow their careers more than at any time in the
past. This could be towards more general
business management and even board level roles due to the unique positioning of
supply chain as a function, touching all parts of the business. Equally it
could be as a technical supply chain specialist working on the new technologies
that should help revolutionise the sector in the future.
What
would you say the priority is for the Supply Chain & logistics sector to
tackle first?
Look to the supply chain of the future and work
backwards. Year on year efficiencies are great but the step change needed to
really optimise data analytics/forecasting, AI, automation and robotics
requires some ambition and planning. We
need to imagine what the world can look like in 10/20 years’ time and make a
roadmap to get there as fast as possible. What will customers want and how will
the technology we see coming help deliver this revolution?
Your
final thoughts Martin?
For me supply chain is the most exciting part of the business to work in. Anyone considering a career which gives both a specialism and a total business overview should look no further. It is a function which concurrently operates on both a short-term delivery and long-term strategic basis which is immensely satisfying from both an intellectual and motivational perspective.
It was a great opportunity to talk to Martin and
hear his thoughts, but what about you? If you’ve got any insights you’d like to
share on the supply chain and logistics industry and management then please do
get in touch, we’d love to hear from you – Tweet
us!
If you’d like to connect with Martin on Linkedin,
please do show that you have read this article in your request.
Interface design is better than it’s ever been. Our capacity to
create novel interactions and meaningful experiences within a digital space has
revolutionised the way that we consume culture and it is changing the way we
learn. When you consider how technology supported your learning as a child,
from abacus to calculator, chalkboard to whiteboard, table to spreadsheet,
education has always integrated technology to improve experience.
What is so revolutionary now is that 99% of us carry smartphones, which has led to a paradigm shift in interaction design. Borrowing from the lessons learnt over the last 40 years of video games, are new languages for contextualising and communicating information. Underneath the hood of many gamified apps are tried and tested mechanics polished through thousands of hours of user testing – play is a cornerstone in how humans learn about the world. From play-fighting to play-dates, we explore social, cultural, educational values through play and mobile technology can enhance and expand upon it.
At Skills for Logistics, our End-Point Assessment (EPA) portal has been built to include interactive videos, multimedia quizzes and a whole palette of tools for us to create novel, inspiring learning content. We wanted to create compelling content that is engaging for a wide range of learning styles, that can be accessed on any device, at anytime. It is so important to use every tool available to empower the next generation with the skills they need to rise to the challenges of today. Mobile gamification of education allows us to properly compete for the attention of our students in a noisy, chaotic world.
If you’re interested in our interactive End-Point Assessment portal and how it could help your apprentices achieve, then please do get in touch. Email or Tweet us!
