Senior traffic commissioner for Great Britain, Beverley Bell, has become the new president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
Ms Bell used her inauguration lunch to express the need to challenge stereotypes in the sector, raise its profile and tackle the skills gap, asking members: ‘Why don’t people want to work in our industry?’
The three key issues for Ms Bell's premiership were:
1. Skills gap – By 2020 the logistics and transport industry will need another 1.2 million workers.
2. Training – The sector must invest more in its employees and tackle the poor record on training staff.
3. Revenue – The Institute must increase membership as well as increase training services.
She made particular reference to tackling the ‘typical lorry driver image’ and suggested more should be done to highlight the importance of a sector, which through the supply chain, transport and logistics industry contributes £92bn to the UK economy.
She added it was a privilege to take on the role of president for 2015-2016 and thanked outgoing president Jim Spittle for doing a ‘great job’.
Over £900 was raised at the lunch for CILT’s charitable careers foundation, Aspire.
