How to increase diversity in HGV driving

By James Clifford, CEO of HGV training specialistHGVC,the company leading theDriver Academy Group’s HGV Skills Bootcampwith trade body Logistics UK and workforce solutions group Manpower

By James Clifford, CEO of HGV training specialist

HGVC

,

the company leading the

Driver Academy Group

’s HGV Skills Bootcamp

with trade body Logistics UK and workforce solutions group Manpower

While the news agenda has moved on, the UK is still suffering from a chronic shortage of HGV drivers.

Part of the problem is the ability to recruit new drivers from a more diverse pool of candidates.

Current driver statistics highlight the issue. Just four per cent are from ethnic minority backgrounds. Only one per cent are women. The average driver is now 51 years old.

So, how can industry and the government work together to help boost diversity and address the shortfall of drivers?

There are three things we need to consider.

First, the industry must do more to attract underrepresented groups into the sector.

The Driver Academy Group’s Skills Bootcamp is making good headway. Since its launch in December, we have received more than 1,500 applications from women or just under 10 per cent of the total. What’s more, the group has also received more than 5,000 applications from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority groups, nearly a quarter of the total.

This shows the benefits of industry and the government working together to help broaden the appeal of the sector and a career in driving.

So, we’d encourage other HGV training businesses to look at what they can do to better encourage more diverse groups into the industry.

Ultimately our sector has a responsibility to be as diverse and inclusive as the UK and reflect its changing demographic. Failing to do so makes our sector one to avoid for many newer entrants to the jobs market, who will be the next generation of drivers.

Of course, once we’ve expanded the candidate pool, we need to look at how we can retain these drivers.

While some of this is down to pay and conditions, we know drivers want to be in a career where development is possible. What’s more, hauliers find staff development an effective way to keep drivers engaged in what they are doing and remain in the industry for longer.

That’s why we’re calling on the government to amend the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC). Instead of requiring drivers to undertake an arbitrary 35 hours of training, CPC courses could range from advanced driving skills, health and safety, hazardous loads and more.

Such courses should encourage incremental development that helps build up skills in a particular area of logistics, allowing drivers to take more responsibility, and ultimately command a higher salary.

Finally, the existing training landscape in the transport sector more broadly can be confusing and challenging to navigate for trainees, employees, and employers. There are numerous routes into the sector, and HGV driving is no different.

Indeed, research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies has suggested that those entering or trying to upskill in the transport sector can find career pathways and the training required to support them difficult to navigate.

We believe industry and the government can do more to better structure and streamline HGV driving careers, making it clearer about how to get into the industry and how drivers can develop.

While the immediate HGV driver crisis has receded, the long-term chronic shortage of drivers remains and broadening the pool of potential candidates is crucial to the industry’s long-term success.

That is why we believe the industry and government have a responsibility to work together to attract and retain a more diverse range of drivers.

In doing so, we believe we can close the shortfall of drivers and future-proof the industry for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

More importantly, we’ll ensure we treat HGV drivers as the professionals that they are.