The FTA has been given £1 million in government funding to train up to 200 HGV drivers. The funding will be the last government investment that doesn’t involve contributions from employers – this follows the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017.
Only the smallest operators will not have to input a contribution fee for the levy.
The apprenticeship and traineeship scheme, which is a response to the driver shortage, is part of a new partnership between the FTA and The Real Apprenticeship Company (TRAC).
“This is a great opportunity for members to get free training for the drivers they are recruiting now,” said Sally Gilson, head of skills campaigning at FTA. “We are pleased to be able to offer this funding to members to help them tackle the persistent shortage of qualified HGV drivers.”
Pierre de Carteret, chief operating officer at The Real Apprenticeship Company said: “While there is currently a reduced appetite to commence training apprentices now, there is a very clear economic rationale for doing so. This is most definitely a case of use it or lose it and it’s extremely unlikely government will provide another funded opportunity like this again.”
Cirrus supports college logistics
Cirrus Logistics is supporting logistics students at South Essex College with a warehouse layout and simulation solution. Alongside this solution, called “CLASS”, students have access to its network optimisation tool “COST2SERV”.
The solution is giving students the opportunity to use their knowledge in a virtual computer environment.
