Over 20,000 new HGV drivers have been trained and employed as a direct result of skills bootcamps since their inception in 2022.
According to the recently published skills bootcamp evaluation data, HGV bootcamps demonstrate the highest job outcome rate (72%) of all bootcamps. This remarkable achievement highlights the unique effectiveness of the programme in alieving workforce shortages in a vital economic sector.
Despite this outstanding success the Department for Education (DfE) plans to cease funding national HGV skills bootcamps at the end of the current contracts with no new starts after this March. Future funding will be devolved to strategic authorities across England, raising several short/medium term concerns:
- Non-devolved aareas disadvantaged: Regions without devolved funding agreements will lose essential training programmes, exacerbating regional inequalities
- Impact on national employers: National logistics employers rely on standardised, scalable training delivery that a devolved approach is unlikely to offer
- Loss of momentum: The significant progress made in addressing the HGV driver shortage by HGV Skills Bootcamps will stall
Our proposed solution is targeted contract extensions for proven national impact.
We urge the DfE to grant targeted extensions of existing skills bootcamps contracts that demonstrate clear, measurable national impact. Specifically, we propose:
- Criteria-based extensions which prioritise extension of contracts with providers who achieve high job outcome rates
- Focused Investment in HGV skills bootcamps to:
- Allocate targeted national funding for HGV training, to continue addressing the driver shortage and providing equal access to participants across England
- Maintain the current training infrastructure and developed expertise, avoiding costly disruptions
- Short- to medium-term continuity
- Extend contracts for 12 to 24 months to provide stability during the transition to a devolved funding model
- Facilitate collaboration between devolved authorities to ensure a consistent offer in the future
The strategic justification for this approach is:
- Economic impact: The logistics sector underpins the UK economy. Ensuring a steady pipeline of HGV drivers is essential for maintaining supply chain efficiency and supporting economic recovery
- Cost-effective solution: Extending contracts for high-performing providers leverages existing expertise and resource, avoiding the inefficiencies of starting from scratch under a devolved model
- Proven track record: With a sector-leading 72% positive outcome rate, HGV skills bootcamps represent a model of success that should be preserved
- Bridging legislative delays: Targeted extensions provide an immediate, practical solution to maintain progress while awaiting new devolution agreements or funding models
- Utilising contract flexibility: By exercising the DPS2 contract extension provisions, the DfE can sustain successful programmes with minimal administrative effort
Without extension there will be a deficit of at least 15,000 new HGV drivers to replace drivers leaving the sector each year. The impact of this would be 150,000 tonnes of freight per day not collected nor delivered. It will also create a critical gap in training provision and disrupt the supply of newly qualified HGV drivers. Given the urgency of addressing the driver shortage, this is a risk the country cannot afford.
David Coombes, chair, Logistics Skills Network