Employing over 2.5 million people across the UK, the logistics sector continues to face acute skills shortages, alongside rapid change driven by automation, digitalisation and the drive to net zero.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a significant role to play in the logistics careers of the future and is not a threat to jobs, but cultural change is just as important as technological change if logistics businesses are to maximise the opportunities.
So said experts during a round table discussion on Upskilling and Reskilling in Logistics organised by Generation Logistics, an industry awareness programme managed by Logistics UK, and the Learning and Work Institute.
“The logistics sector puts a lot of focus on attracting people into the industry, but not nearly enough on how we retain and help them progress through ongoing upskilling and reskilling,” said Bethany Windsor, programme director for generation logistics and head of skills policy at Logistics UK, who was chairing the discussion.
The use of AI in the sector was discussed, and the participants outlined how the technology is already widely used and is helping improve efficiency by automating many tasks, it became clear that while AI will change the jobs people are doing, it will not necessarily replace them.
