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Logistics UK has welcomed government changes to apprenticeship schemes and hopes the move will encourage more young people to take up careers in the logistics sector.
The changes mean employers can choose whether apprentices will need to achieve english and maths qualifications as part of the process while the minimum duration will be reduced from 12 months to eight months.
Logistics UK’s head of skills policy Bethany Windsor said: ”Logistics businesses have been hampered in taking on apprentices by overly long practical periods or the insistence on the achievement of English or Maths qualifications, which were not always relevant to the vacancies available or may have been superseded by other qualifications.
“Apprenticeships provide a wonderful opportunity for new recruits to enter the sector and today’s changes to the system will make it easier and more appealing for them to do so, which will help logistics businesses do their part in driving growth across the economy.”
Windsor added that the organisation had been pressing the government on the issue for some time.
Last week UK forwarder association BIFA said that the number of apprentices in the forwarding industry had dwindled in recent years.
The organisation said that only 146 apprentices had started the specialist apprenticeship during the last 12 months, the lowest number of starts since 2018.
Numbers were also down in 2023 with BIFA reporting a 27% year-on-year decline.
Windsor said: ”Logistics has so many opportunities for new recruits and those looking to up- or re-skill, but it is vital that we provide as seamless a process as possible.”
The UK government hoped the changes could mean as many as 10,000 more apprentices per year across all sectors will be able to complete their apprenticeship.
UK secretary of state for education Bridget Phillipson said: “Businesses have been calling out for change to the apprenticeship system and these reforms show that we are listening.
“Our new offer of shorter apprenticeships and less red tape strikes the right balance between speed and quality, helping achieve our number one mission to grow the economy.”
