Logistics skills must be prioritised to drive UK growth, warns Logistics UK

Skills England omits logistics sector, threatening Industrial Strategy goals

The logistics sector has been overlooked in Skills England’s latest “Assessment of Priority Skills to 2030”, a move that Logistics UK says could undermine the government’s ambitions for economic growth.

Michelle Gardner, Deputy Head of Policy at Logistics UK, expressed disappointment at the omission: “Skilled logistics careers underpin the growth-driving sectors identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy and Skills England’s assessment.

"For Skills England to overlook the role of logistics skills and occupations in the economy is highly disappointing.”

She added that the government itself recognises logistics as a vital contributor to the UK economy and the competitiveness of its growth sectors.

“The government’s industrial strategy recognises that logistics makes a vital contribution to the UK economy and the competitiveness of its growth-driving sectors but, despite this, Skills England have failed to take our sector into account.

"We warned the government that not recognising logistics as ‘foundational’ formally created a real danger of its value being overlooked in further policy, and this has now happened with skills assessment, which will seriously hamper the UK’s growth mission.”

Gardner confirmed that Logistics UK will continue to engage with Skills England as the assessment process evolves.

“We will continue to work with Skills England as it develops and refines its process for assessing skills and will be calling for the DfE to ensure the needs of the logistics sector and career opportunities it provides are represented in its upcoming ‘Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy’.”