As I suggested in my recent White Paper, ‘The Warehouse of the Future: Predictions from 2025 to 2050’, the rise of automation will continue to drive changes in the workforce requirements for our sector. Specifically, we will need increasingly more technical skills and expertise in managing automation’s commands.
Arguably, that future requirement is already here for many of the larger online fulfilment companies. Amazon, for example, is always looking for the next generation of software development engineers to help invent and use technology to continue to deliver on their uncompromising commitment to customer service.
Despite this, a career in warehousing is often not on the radar of young engineers, yet tools like cobots and exoskeletons must surely appeal most to those individuals who are tech-savvy and relish a futuristic working environment.
Our role as the association for this fast-changing and incredibly exciting sector is to address this gap, advocating careers in warehousing to talented young people and ensuring that they fully appreciate the many existing and emerging opportunities on offer.
We have also learnt that addressing labour and skills shortages means widening the recruitment pool and embracing diversity. So, alongside Generation Logistics, we are working with GEEP – the award-winning Graduate Engineering Engagement Programme run by the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering – which partners with engineering employers to increase the transition of engineering graduates from under-represented backgrounds into engineering employment.
In the last eight years, more than 1300 students from over 70 universities have taken part in the programme. Of the students involved in GEEP, 30% are women and over 90% are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Accordingly, over the coming months, UKWA will be facilitating a series of visits by UK students and recent graduates to those UKWA member warehouses at the forefront of technical innovation, best placed to showcase automation, robotics and other technologies. The first of these will be hosted by Jungheinrich later in January. Other visits are planned to Amazon, DP World, Dexory, GXO, John Lewis Partnership and Wincanton.
The benefit to GEEP engineering students is clear. Describing the impact of the GEEP programme, former student Damilola Fari-Arole said that it had given him a chance to expand his network and gain valuable insights, allowing him to make informed choices when applying for graduate roles.
But our members and our sector will benefit from this initiative too. The aim is to promote the industry – and our members – to potential engineering recruits and supply chain and logistics students via Generation Logistics, putting warehousing firmly front of mind for young people looking for fulfilling graduate career opportunities and inspiring the top engineers of the future to join our sector.
Clare Bottle
UKWA, CEO
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