- Up to 4,000 people are being trained to become new truck drivers in order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers and to support more people in starting their careers in the logistics industry.
- The package of measures includes the use of MOD testers to increase the immediate capacity for truck tests by thousands over the next 12 weeks.
- Almost 1 million letters to all drivers who currently hold a truck driver’s license to get them back into the industry.
- 5,000 truck drivers and 5,500 poultry workers have been added to the existing visa system by Christmas 2021 to ease supply chain pressure in the food and transport industries under exceptional circumstances this year.
As part of a today (25 the pandemic and the global recovery of the world economy.
The Department of Education is investing up to £ 10 million in setting up new skills boot camps to train up to 3,000 more people to be truck drivers. The free, short intensive courses train drivers to be roadworthy and to acquire a category C or category C&E driving license in order to counter the current shortage of truck drivers. An additional 1,000 people are expected to be trained in courses offered on-site and funded from the government’s adult education budget.
Tanker drivers need additional safety qualifications, which the government will work with industry on to ensure drivers can access them as soon as possible.
To ensure that new drivers are ready to drive as soon as possible, the Ministry of Transport (DfT) has also agreed to work with the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) to ensure that tests are available as soon as possible for participants who have completed training .
The Department of Defense (MOD) also announced today the immediate deployment of its Defense Driving Examiners (DDEs) to increase the country’s testing capacity. MOD examiners will work with DVSA examiners and perform thousands of additional tests over the next 12 weeks.
The package comes because the DfT, along with leading logistics companies, worked with the DVLA to send nearly 1 million letters to thank truck drivers for their important role in supporting our economy and those who have left the industry To encourage return. The letter, which will hit the floor mats in the coming days, will set out the steps road freight transport is taking to improve the industry, including increased wages, flexible working hours and fixed working hours.
In addition, 5,000 truck drivers can come to Great Britain for 3 months in the run-up to Christmas and thus relieve the freight forwarder at short notice. An additional 5,500 poultry worker visas will also be made available for the same short period to avoid possible further pressure on the food industry during this extraordinary time.
The recruitment of additional short-term truck drivers and poultry workers will begin in October and these visas will be valid until December 24, 2021. UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) is preparing to process the required visa applications in a timely manner.
However, we would like employers to make long-term investments in the UK domestic workforce rather than relying on the workforce to build a high-wage, high-skilled economy.
Visa will not be a long-term solution and reform within the industry is vital. Because of this, the government continues to support the industry in solving this problem over the long term through improved testing and attitudes, with better pay, working conditions and diversity.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
This package of measures builds on the important work we have already done to alleviate this global crisis in the UK, and this government continues to do all it can to help the transport and food industries address the truck driver shortage.
We are acting now, but industry too must do its part to ensure that working conditions continue to improve and the increases they deserve are maintained so that companies can retain new drivers.
After a very difficult 18 months, I know how important this Christmas is for all of us and so we are taking these steps as early as possible to ensure that the preparations stay on track.
Independently of this, the government also enacts laws that allow delegated driving examiners from the three emergency services and the MOD to conduct driving tests for one another. This increases the flexibility of the emergency services and helps to increase the number of tests that DVSA inspectors can offer to truck inspectors.
The government will also fund both medical and truck driving licenses for every adult who completes a truck driver qualification accessible through the adult education budget in the 2021/22 academic year. Previously, adults who acquired these qualifications had to pay for their own licenses. This change is retroactive and applies to anyone who started one of these qualifications on or after August 1, 2021.
Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi said:
Truck drivers keep this country going. We’re taking action to address the driver shortage by removing barriers to helping more people start new high paying careers in the industry and helping thousands get the education they need to drive.
As we build post-pandemic, we’re committed to helping people, regardless of their background, acquire the skills and education they need to get good jobs at any stage of life, while creating the talent pipeline that companies need for the future.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
Making sure there is enough workforce in the country’s supply chains to ensure they stay strong and resilient is a top priority.
We have listened to the concerns of the sector and are acting to alleviate the very tight labor market.
The government has been able to come up with these solutions in response to a global problem made worse by the coronavirus, thanks to our existing work in this area. We have already taken a number of steps to help the industry, including streamlining the process for new truckers and increasing the number of driving tests. Our measures ensured a rapid increase in capacity and enabled an additional 50,000 tests per year.
Progress has already been made in testing and recruitment, with improvements in pay, working conditions and diversity. We continue to closely monitor the labor supply and work with industry leaders to understand how we can best solve certain sticking points. With our Plan for Jobs, we are helping people across the UK retrain, develop new skills and get back into work.
Food and Drink Federation executive director Ian Wright CBE said:
We welcome the government’s pragmatic decision to temporarily add truck drivers and poultry workers to the existing visa system.
This is something UK food and beverage manufacturers have been asking for in recent months – including the industry’s Grant Thornton report – to alleviate some of the pressures in the grocery supply chain.
This is a start, but we need the government to continue working with the industry and looking for additional long-term solutions.
Elizabeth de Jong, Director of Policy at Logistics UK said:
Logistics UK welcomes the government’s package of measures to improve the ongoing driver crisis. The government’s decision to give truck drivers 5,000 temporary visas on short notice is a big step forward; We are delighted that the government listened to our calls and made this brave decision to support the UK economy. We are also pleased that DfT has agreed to jointly send almost 1 million letters to all drivers who currently have a truck driver’s license. With the fantastic truck driving opportunities in the logistics industry, now is the perfect time to start thinking about getting back to work.