How the Manpower and HGVT Driver Academy is plugging the driver skills gap
Estimated at 100,000, the mismatch between the number of drivers needed and the number available continues to present problems for employers across the country. Increased time to hire, inflated pay rates and growing attrition are all exacerbated by the lack of new drivers coming through the ranks. With 48 currently being the average age of an HGV driver in the UK, and with less than 1% of HGV drivers being under 25 years old, this means that as drivers reach retirement age, there are not enough young people to replace them. Brexit is also impacting the situation, with over 12,500 EU drivers having returned home. And then there’s the lack of gender diversity – driving has not historically been viewed as a desirable career path for women and the estimated number of women in the profession is less than 1%.
We’re reaching a critical point that, without action, will see the movement of goods, services and people grind to a halt.
Now is the time for a fresh approach to create the talent the logistics sector needs now and for the future. Manpower and HGVT decided to face this challenge head-on with the formation of a dedicated Driver Academy.
Launched in 2019, the Driver Academy is a partnership between Manpower, the UK’s leading staffing solutions provider, and HGVT, the UK’s largest and most trusted HGV training provider. Together we’re working to change the perception of the logistics sector and to attract, train and deploy skilled drivers to help the industry thrive.
The Academy takes nominated individuals through an enhanced training programme to acquire both the necessary licences and certifications to safely launch a driving career, but also the work-ready soft skills and understanding of the industry to make them employable.
More than 3,000 students come through the Academy each year based across the UK, allowing us to connect our clients with a valuable and exclusive talent pool of newly qualified drivers wherever and whenever they are needed. This partnership approach allows us to develop good relationships with our students while they’re undergoing training, and offers clients an extra level of assurance in the reliability, capabilities and cultural fit of our graduates.
We’re able to connect our clients with a valuable and exclusive talent pool of newly qualified drivers wherever and whenever they are needed.
Gender balance is important in any profession, and never more so than in the road transport industry where currently only 1% of drivers are women. That’s why in 2021, with the support of government, client partners and industry bodies, we launched the Women in Driving Development Pathway.
One of the seven routes into the Driver Academy, this programme takes action to tackle the driving skills shortage and improve diversity within the logistics sector.
By supporting women to take part in the programme, we offer them all the necessary tools to launch a successful career as an HGV driver.
To find out more about the Women in Driving Development Pathway, get in touch with us at WID@MANPOWER.CO.UK
Supported by:
In 2021 Manpower formed a new partnership with HGVT and Logistics UK to create the Driver Academy Group. The Driver Academy Group are proud to be a partner with the Government’s Skills Bootcamps – part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life. Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses, giving people the chance to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
The HGV Skills Bootcamp offers fully funded training for a limited number of candidates in the HGV driving sector. Courses range from novice drivers looking to gain their HGV Licence, to refresher courses and upgrades for current licence holders. Through the scheme, which launched in December last year, we’re now helping over 1,200 candidates launch a driving career or get back behind the wheel.
HGVT is the largest HGV training provider in the UK with more 60 training centres. They use the best vehicles and dedicated instructors to help the academy students achieve strong pass rates that exceed the national average.
By offering visibility of a pipeline of drivers three months in advance, the Driver Academy ensures clients’ recruitment needs are addressed head-on. This reduces the time it takes to identify and recruit drivers, as well as the associated costs, making the recruiting process more time- and cost-efficient.
Manpower places thousands of drivers into temporary and permanent jobs every year for some of the industry’s leading companies. We are a trusted name with a proud reputation for good service, strict compliance and reliability around the clock.
Candidates are fully committed to initiating a successful driving career as evidenced in a significantly higher pass rate than the national average.
We prepare our graduates with work placements and industry insights, setting realistic expectations for their driving career.
As newly qualified drivers, they have no poor habits to break and have been through the very latest in HGV training requirements.
The average age of our Academy graduates is 34, while the percentage of our intake who are women is five times higher than the industry standard.
We have a steady pipeline of Driver Academy graduates across the UK, which means that we can work with you to plan resource in advance or provide urgent cover at the eleventh hour.
The new driver you supplied, Jack, is doing extremely well. The driver assessor who went out with him backs this up as he passed his assessment with flying colours. He has proven to be very reliable and confident, so I just wanted to say thanks to you and the team for supplying a driver with good standards.
Manpower Supply chain is ready and able to resolve your driver needs. To find out more about the Driver Academy or to contact us, visit our website.
