Nothing lasts forever but in the case of the National Skills Academy for Logistics (NSAL), few things have taken so long to get off the ground only to succumb so soon.
First things first. Following recent media reports, a spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has confirmed to The Hub that the academy is indeed no more.
A Skills Funding Agency statement supplied via BIS stated: “We have been working with NSAL, over the past two years, to ensure delivery against their three year start up plan remained on target.
"As a result, we asked NSAL to submit a revised delivery plan, to address concerns we had raised against them achieving their 3 year delivery plan targets. Following assessment of the revised plan the Agency’s decision was to not support and we understand that the NSAL will now cease operation.
“The agency's priority is to work with NSAL and the Sector Skills Council (Skills for Logistics), over the next few months, to ensure that any learners and apprentices are supported by their current providers and employers so that they can continue their learning and Apprenticeships.”
But of course it wasn’t always this way.
With the news back in June 2011 that the “one stop shop” for employers’ training inquiries and needs had received £3.25m of government funding, putting the academy on course to launch in October 2011 before becoming fully operational by autumn 2012, it seemed that something important had happened (the government money was supposed to be match funded by industry, so here was potentially a decent wedge of money to address the sector’s skills needs).
Indeed before the sign above the academy’s door actually read closed-shop, operators such as DHL were excited about it’s potential, with Ian Hartley, vice-president of operations at DHL Supply Chain, stating in 2011: “The academy will help employers develop their best asset – their people, making them more successful and in turn, becoming a more attractive employer.”
Isobel Harding, Freight Transport Association national training manager, added at the time: “This will be beneficial to the whole industry as a flagship to promote skills for life through to degree-level, enabling industry to embrace higher levels of quality and efficiency.”
If only. Even then not everyone was convinced.
Worth the wait?
In an interview with Commercial Motor in September 2011 Greg Cejer, joint project director at the academy, said it would “provide a brokerage outlet for businesses that want training or skills development. Although it will deliver nothing directly, it will list accredited trainers who have undergone a rigorous evaluation process, ensuring they provide quality training”.
There was also the promise that it would develop new employer driven products and services with training providers through consultations with advisory boards, national employer steering groups and trade associations.
“We will be working on foundation degrees and courses with colleges, as well as apprenticeships leadership and management training, skills for life and work-based learning. It will be a one-stop shop providing a full range of commercial services. We will be the intermediaries helping operators to make the right decisions,” said Cejer, who if nothing else was certainly ambitious.
However, Steve Bowles, MD of Roy Bowles Transport, countered: “It’s £6.5m for what sounds like a very expensive website and an expensive way of doing things.”
Paul Arthurton, owner of Paul Arthurton Transport in Norfolk, wasn’t a day-one fan either. “Even with the industry match-funding, £6.5m is a pittance,” he said. “It isn’t going to go anywhere. It’s just another quango.”
To be fair, most thought it would go a little further than it did.
Show reel
Somewhat fittingly it was revealed in June of this year that the academy had teamed up with operators to promote the industry with a Hollywood style approach. Yep, they were making a motion picture, well film, which was due “to be rolled out in September”.
A fitting epitaph perhaps to an organisation that dared to dream big but was ultimately unable to measure up to its own pre-release hype? Coupled with the sudden departure of Mick Jackson at Skills for Logistics, there's certainly a growing sense that UK road transport's efforts to address its skills challenge has become a horror show.
Fade to black. Credits roll…