The RHA has welcomed the government’s plans to place technical education on an equal footing with academic study, saying the reforms could help tackle the growing shortage of HGV technicians and other skilled workers across the road transport sector.
Responding to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to introduce a new technical pathway for 14 to 19-year-olds, the RHA said the changes could encourage more young people into road transport careers if employers are closely involved in shaping the new qualifications.
RHA skills policy lead Sally Gilson said: “The Prime Minister is right to say Britain should value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap. For too long, technical routes have been treated as second best.
“Giving young people access to skilled careers from 14, and linking that learning to real vacancies locally, is exactly the change our industry needs.”
Gilson warned that road transport is already facing an ageing workforce alongside a shortage of drivers and heavy vehicle technicians.
“We have a well-established driver shortage and an ageing workforce, with too few young people coming through to replace those retiring.
“A shortage of qualified heavy vehicle technicians is making it harder and costlier to keep fleets on the road – and 85% of Britain’s goods move by road, so that is felt right across the economy.”
She added that the transition to zero-emission trucks would further increase demand for technicians with electrical, digital and software skills.
“Decarbonisation also demands not just mechanical skill but electrical, digital and software expertise. These are among the most future-proof jobs there are: you cannot automate the person who inspects a vehicle, spots a physical fault and carries out a safe repair.”
Gilson said road transport and logistics must be included among the government’s local priority technical pathways and called for the reforms to be developed in partnership with employers and supported by properly funded apprenticeships.
Logistics UK also backed the proposals, saying they would help employers develop the skilled workforce needed for the future.
Chief executive Ben Fletcher said the logistics sector supports around 8% of the UK’s workforce and offers a wide range of technology-enabled careers.
“For the past four years, our sector has led the Generation Logistics campaign to showcase these opportunities to young people and educators,” he said.
“The fact that opinions have started to alter towards careers in logistics shows that perceptions can change, but with so many sectors finding it hard to recruit new talent, it is important that industry continues to build strong links with employers.”
Fletcher said the reforms, combined with the government’s devolution agenda, would create greater opportunities for employers and schools to work together to inspire young people and equip them with the skills needed for careers in logistics.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) also welcomed the announcement, saying automotive must be at the heart of the new technical education pathway if the industry is to address its long-standing skills shortage.
IMI chief executive Nick Connor said the commercial vehicle sector was being transformed by electrification, advanced diagnostics and AI-enabled vehicle systems, creating growing demand for technicians with new technical skills.
“The automotive sector offers a huge range of exciting and diverse career opportunities and is being transformed by electrification, advanced diagnostics and AI-enabled vehicle systems. It needs technicians, engineers and technologists with exactly the kind of skills this announcement is talking about,” he said.
Connor added that the IMI wanted to work with government, schools and employers to ensure the reforms delivered more apprentices into the automotive sector and helped close the industry’s skills gap.
