UK – One of the anomalies of the UK logistics industry is the lack of formal qualifications needed to enter the freight forwarding sector as compared to many other countries where the process involves lengthy training with official qualifications presented on graduation. Now Schenker Limited, the UK arm of the global logistics services provider DB Schenker, has again taken the matter into its own hands with its UK National Apprenticeship Programme.
This will be the third year of the programme and the company has offered eight brand new opportunities for young people in a scheme which received industry recognition in January when DB Schenker won the BIFA freight service award for Staff Development. The new group of eight will be based in a variety of locations up and down the UK and will undertake a 30 month long apprenticeship.
The ‘newbies’ are required to complete two frameworks as part of the programme and when successfully passed, they will receive formal qualifications in the form of an NVQ Level 2 in Business administration and an NVQ Level 3 in Customer Service. Each apprentice will be assigned a "buddy" within the organisation to oversee their workplace wellbeing. The buddy will also act as their own point of contact within the company, and will be the person they can go to for advice, coaching or support.
While gaining experience in their local branch, they will also attend internal DB Schenker training courses, visit other branches, working across different disciplines and undertake a business improvement project. Each apprentice is expected to identify an area of the business that can be improved and to make suggestions about how this can be achieved. The course is supported by senior management who consider properly trained staff essential to the future of the group with Managing Director, Helgi Ingolfsson offering wholehearted support and commenting that young people are essential for the future of Schenker.
DB Schenker are currently appearing on Stand 760 at the Multimodal 2012 exhibition.
