The Department for Transport (DfT) is backing a campaign to boost logistics sector recruitment by providing a second year of funding.

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The Generation Logistics initiative launched in August 2022, tasked with increasing awareness and finding the next generation of logistics talent.

The programme is now continuing its work, backed by £300,000 of government funding and with a new focus on raising awareness among those aged 13-24 and educators in schools and colleges about the industry and the opportunities it presents to young people.

Over the last year, Generation Logistics has delivered a comprehensive awareness campaign, championing individuals and ‘best-in-class’ organisations to highlight how a career in logistics will ‘Push Your Boundaries’. It’s already reached an audience of 340 million and generated over 500,000 visits to the Generation Logistics hub.

The work is a collaboration between more than 40 leading companies and trade associations from across the industry, managed by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT UK) and Logistics UK.

The Government’s continued support was confirmed by Transport Secretary Mark Harper at Road Transport Expo 2023, as he said the campaign demonstrated the breadth and diversity of the career opportunities available within the sector.

Harper continued: “We continue to work closely with industry leaders, such as CILT (UK) and Logistics UK, to fully understand the needs of the industry and this is yet another step we are taking to grow the economy and support industry across the UK.”

Phil Roe, executive sponsor of Generation Logistics, added: “It is fantastic news that the DfT has committed to supporting Generation Logistics for a further year and is recognition of the results we have achieved so far. This support lays the foundations for the campaign to push into its second year at what is a critical time for the industry.

“As a sector, it is incumbent on us to do everything we can to highlight to young people embarking on their careers that logistics is an amazing sector to go into. You really can travel the world, but equally with developments in autonomous and remote vehicles, it’s no exaggeration to say you will be able to have a role working with the latest technology and perhaps even a nine to five desk job operating HGVs.”

Organisations interested in supporting Generation Logistics in the second year of its campaign can contact the campaign at [email protected].