There are around 7,240 logistic sector workplaces in the region which comprise 3% of all workplaces in the region.  Road freight transport companies make up 59% of the sector.  The majority of the workplaces are small to medium sized enterprises with 81% of workplaces employing 1-10 people.  68% of the workforce is employed in a companies employing 50 or more.

The logistics sector employs 209,700 people, accounting for 7% of the region’s workforce. The numbers employed in the sector are expected to increase to 2014.

The region’s logistics’ workforce profile follows:

• 62% are process plant and machine operatives and elementary staff
• 6% of the workforce are self-employed, compared with 20% for the region as a whole
• 13% of the workforce is employed part-time, compared with 25% for the region as a whole
• 22% are women, compared with 47%
• 1% are from minority ethnic groups, compared with 4%
• 17% of the workforce is 55 years and over, compared with 15% of all sectors in the region
• 11% of employees hold an NVQ Level 4 or above, compared with 28% of all sectors in the region
• 22% of employees in the sector hold below NVQ Level 2 qualifications and 18% hold no qualifications

The region has experienced recruitment difficulties.  In particular:

11% of firms have at least one vacancy

6% have at least one vacancy that is hard-to-fill

6% have a skills shortage vacancy

The hardest to fill vacancies are for machine operatives.

Employers have identified skills gaps within their workforce, with 14% reporting this to be an issue. The main skills gap is with machine operative positions.  Skill gaps are the result of recruitment problems and candidates lacking the experience.  The main reason for hard-to-fill vacancies is the low number of applicants with the required skills.

Over the past 12 months:

• 41% of employers in the region did not fund or arrange any staff training
• 50% formally assessed staff training needs
• 25% do not have a business plan, training plan or a budget for expenditure
• a fifth of employers providing off-the-job training had used a Further Education college
• 7% of employers had apprentices funded through the Learning and Skills Council

As across other regions, there will be an increase in demand for management roles is predicted.  Transport and machine operatives will remain the largest sub-group and the needs operatives will continue.  There will also be a continued increase in demand for administrative, clerical and secretarial positions.

Source: Skills for Logistics - North West 2006