I was delighted to take on the role of Chief Executive of CILT (UK). I am grateful to my predecessor, Kevin Richardson, for all his hard work and dedication that he provided to the Institute during his term.
Chief Executive at CILT (UK)
No one would have predicted 2022. Following on from the pandemic, it felt that the key themes of the year would be the continuing impacts of staff shortages across the entire supply chain. However, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and the resulting cost of living crisis soon took centre stage. For many of our members, this has focused their attention towards recruiting and retaining staff to ensure fair treatment whilst endeavouring to keep prices for customers and consumers realistic.
This is not only a transport and supply chain challenge. However, the CILT’s members and the profession are disproportionately affected by the situation. In our recent Driver Shortage Survey, organised by the Institute’s passenger transport and logistics benchmarking clubs, LogMark and BusMark, we found that 78% of respondents said their organisations face a driver shortage. This has ramifications which invariably impact all those involved in the movement and consumption of goods. Moreover, we hope these results will spark collaboration and help organisations better understand the challenge at the core of our profession.
Together with Logistics UK and the Department for Transport, we spearheaded a programme of engagement and promotional activities called Generation Logistics. We aimed to bring the profession together and shift perceptions of logistics with the general public. We need to encourage the next generation of potential employees to understand the huge range of jobs and career opportunities available to them. Taking a new approach to the profession, we liaised with a range of industry and trade association sponsors to launch a campaign based on social media to engage with the public at large. The campaign seeks to improve awareness of the sector by 40% and encourage over 600,000 visits to the dedicated website and provide an active job board to enable job seekers to “find their logistics”.
The Institute’s theme for 2023 will be “Capabilities for the Future” as we support our members and new entrants into the profession to grow and thrive. We are always proud to celebrate outstanding achievements across the profession. In September 2023, we look forward to hosting our 30th Annual Awards for Excellence and marking this anniversary in a fantastic event recognising achievement across all levels of the profession.
The Chartered body for professionals involved in the movement of goods and people, and their associated supply chains. Delivering career development, networking and professional recognition.
CILT
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