Heathrow air cargo numbers hit another record month as Logistics Skills Alliance opens door to launch Logistics 2025 vision in a full house, standing room only event at West Thames College.

Levy lock-down and busting the myths of apprenticeships at the heart of an employer-focused day in Heathrow logistics rich in networking and solutions.

Final mile finish by bicycle for LSA chair Lomas on Transaid run brought big applause.

Levy lock-down as apprenticeship myths were explained in a full house of bookings for a multi-modal audience from DB Schenker to road and air cargo opened by West Thames College Principal Tracy Aust. Speakers included Peter Binham TfL talking FORS, CLOCS and LoCity clean air. Neil Impiazzi SEGRO, multi-level sheds, James Billingham LSA and Alex Farkas DWP educating the unemployed to understand logistics opportunities.. Answering the questions of how logistics will adapt to compliance for clean air solutions, growth and expansion in traffic and the need for next-generation workforce solutions.

2025: The Logistics Vision Summit

Future Challenges and Opportunities facing the sector, Heathrow Sept 27th

Tracy Aust West Thames college,

Meeting the local needs for logistics, locally and nationally. We have a pool of talent ready for the sector. We are already delivering warehouse, driving and freight forwarding. Today we are in a historic setting for the launch of Logistics 2025 vision, in the heart of the Heathrow logistics hot-spot and in the inner heart of the travels of the World of logistics. Taking the first look at next generation and the levy success to training apprenticeships in logistics.

Tracy Aust sets the agenda for logistics at the sold out full house LSA event

Simon Wilcox, Heathrow & LSA, set the scene with Heathrow as a key local employer.

West Thames College has continued to grow and Logistics will play an important part in this growth. My other job is at Heathrow and it is with this successful relationship between Heathrow and West Thames College we are able to manage and steer capability and skills into the gaps in the employment areas. Heathrow is growing and I am proud that we work together with West Thames College, but we also recognise that it is the students that attend the college and the passion they put into the future of employable skills.

Graeme Baker LSA comments

LSA -  where it’s come from, the College, why we are committed to logistics - location London, but need to expand.

We need to work in partnership and collaboration with you the industry. We are a value-focused college to get the best out our students and our teachers. To draw people into the sector means we have to provide the best possible environment and an outstanding learning experience.

Excellent partnerships with large local employers. This year our students all achieved job placement and will have achieved Level 1 & 2 qualifications and will be offered local employment.

The logistics sector is getting more mature, so we need to encourage all ages to enter this industry.

Now is the time and place. We offer outstanding learning for all areas of logistics. The placement of Express trailblazer Level 2 up to Level 6 is available to our students and our progress will support this industry.

The LSA will work with you to increase the apprenticeship supply, so sign up today, as we have 2,000 -18 yr olds crossing our path daily and your voice needs to be heard.

James Billingham leading the project of apprenticeship delivery for the Logistics Skills Alliance outlined skills gaps within the sector.

There is a perfect storm gathering in skills. Apprenticeships will not provide all solutions but if used wisely can be part of a joined up approach. Today is about apprenticeship myth busting and the role that the logistics skills alliance can play in supporting the employers in the sector. The LSA is becoming a leading deliverer of logistics apprenticeships that provide employers with real value in the up-skilling of existing talent, nurturing and attracting new and emerging talent into the sector.

James talked dates in diaries and set employers to task to join the levy lock down interviews that would form a solution to Heathrow employers in the levy tax world.

Peter Binham TfL, Peter gave a detailed overview of freight and fleet flagship programmes, FORS/CLOCS/LoCity.

I am head of freight and I am proud to see an improving image in the sector.

Peter addressed FORS, a flagship accreditation in the industry that looks at quality, a motivating standard to judge quality in transport.

FORS is a unique industry-led accreditation scheme aimed at transforming road fleet. A benchmark of setting a company stand above and beyond the legal requirement. Management, Vehicles, Drivers & Operations are the sections considered to apply a Bronze, Silver or Gold standard. The scheme is becoming national and now Internationally used and recognised. The standard has demonstrated, for example, a 41% reduction in injuries compared to those who have not been recognised to be applying FORS standards.

Future growth is worldwide spread as a single recognised industry standard.

Approved training includes developing the risks and hazards of heavy goods vehicles and cyclists on the roads. This creates empathy and understanding of road users. The FORS training uses e-training in four areas: road safety, cycle safety, van safety and fuel efficiency.

This was followed by CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Community Safety). Why were construction vehicles having more accidents than other HGV’s ? The issues arising were lack of responsibility of vehicles on site, reporting processes and disproportionate understanding of reporting. It was the industry that recognised that these issues could be overcome by bringing in a common standard.

Manufacturing design / Site and vehicle safety / Best practice would provide the standards for which FORS could be the regulator.

The application of the CLOCS standard measured by FORS is bringing the industry and the client together.

LoCity programme is another issue that the City in particular is being affected by and an area that TfL wants to develop tools and guidance for to make an informed decision as to how your company can support the need for better air quality. Low emission, operator knowledge and existing funding schemes need support from us (TfL) so that the client wants to invest in the environment and make a difference. Vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure and advice and guidance are the areas where LoCity will assist both client and company to incorporate in their own future strategy.

Neil Impiazzi from SEGRO spoke about challenge for Logistics 2025 delivery

Our business is to recognise the challenges the sector is facing and the innovative ideas to meet these changes.

We have a real interest In both physical and skill stock for industrial use. 500-1m sq ft warehouses and making the product match the supply chain of the work force and distribution. The customer drives the need of where they want this building and our customers represent a broad spectrum of industries that keep the City of London and the regions functioning. Supporting growth needs of the companies.

How do we meet the needs of the industry and the population ? E-commerce is a force that dictates how the physical challenges are emerging. Industrial developments will have to take into consideration the disrupters to the market. Amazon wants to store products under water ? How will they get to the consumer ?

The throughput is the challenge. How to keep the product moving so that floor space isn’t the issue. The success is linked to the innovative and efficient means by which the product is moved.

Future means could be the use of multi floor industrial warehouses. That’s delivery and collection direct to the second or tenth floor. Segro owns and operates the only two floor industrial unit at Hatton Cross and the intelligence collected through the use of this location will support further delivery of this type of building.

Other options are multi use industrial areas. Building facilities next to a station, parkland areas for public use, comfortable housing all within access of each other. The initial project is being developed now at Hayes and in another year’s time we hope it will be a success story.

Alex Farkas, National head for logistics at DWP spoke employment and recruitment at the heart of the Job Centre Plus environment in the Heathrow region. Solutions for employers on a local scale in the perfect storm outlined by James Billingham.

Challenges that we see are affecting your (logistics) sector and how we can raise the awareness of your sector at job centre plus.

The misconception of knowledge about the logistics industry by both those who are unemployed and the JCP mentor’s and it is this lack of understanding that leads to the lack of application to the industry. So for us we see an increasing job market with a dwindling labour market, key to this market is to keenly match the supply and demand. Train the workforce to have the skills of the logistics market to meet permanent job placement because other industries are in need of the labour market. What can DWP do to help ?

We will be running a campaign in a box – a 2-week campaign for career in logistics. Raising the profile at JCP and improving the visibility to jobseekers. Promote the staff and claimants to industry initiatives for a career in the logistics. Opening your doors, opening the industry doors to all in the labour market and to ask for help for those who have health problems or social issues but are still a very capable employee. The industry needs to keep their eyes open to assistance that DWP can offer to work more effectively together.

All of these projects that I am part of at this time will be fed up to the ministers and will be making a contribution to government consideration to the way forward.

Carl Lomas, LSA chair, only hours after return from his four day express courier pit stop, London to Paris cycle ride for Transport charity Transaid, spoke passionately about the Heathrow hot spot of logistics. thanked the guests for attending and thanked them for their support for the vision 2025 answers to the sectors next challenges. Exploding Express numbers, Heathrow runway three, HS2, Uber in the days ahead, a next generation work force for logistics.

It’s time to act, Trailblazers are upon us, levy lock down interviews are at your disposal, step into the next platform with your next generation workforce.

The Last job -  to launch the Logistics 2025 Document

A full house event, standing room only success for the knowledge and support needs in logistics hot spots.

It was final mile delivery to the door for the free copy of vision for our sector in 2025, Heathrow runway 3, HS2, fulfilment e-retail and 30% public transport growth among the titles of the next generation.