Listings - Logistics

Logistics

So, what's it all about?

You go to the corner shop and buy a tin of baked beans. Simple. But your beans on toast are the final stage in an amazingly complex process.

'Baked' beans don't grow very well in the UK, so they need to be imported from North America. This means a lorry journey from the farm where they're grown to the plant where they're dried, and another to the port. Then it's off across the Atlantic, where another lorry meets them at the other end to take them off to the canning plant. Here, they'll meet the tomatoes, sugar and other ingredients, which have also clocked up a fair few miles along the way.

Hold on, though. Where are the cans? That's quite a journey too, whether you start with iron ore from mines in Australia or recycled steel from China.

Once the beans are in the can (and let's hope somebody's fetched enough labels, and plenty of boxes) they'll be taken off to a warehouse. But your beans will see several more lorries and warehouses before they reach your local shop, which bought them from its supplier, which bought them from a wholesaler, which bought them from the manufacturer.

We could go into where your toast comes from, but you probably get the idea by now. The process of making sure the right things reach the right place at the right time in the right quantities is called logistics.

And there's a lot of driving involved. That might mean transporting goods across Europe in a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV), being a courier making urgent or local deliveries, or operating the vehicle that no warehouse can cope without - the forklift truck. There's a shortage of LGV drivers at the moment, and the industry is particularly keen to recruit women and people from ethnic minorities. All that driving also means a big demand for fitters and mechanics.

Just as important as moving stuff around is storing it. Warehouses are busy places, with goods continually being shipped in and out, and require military organisation. All the stock movements need to be accounted for (you're more likely to be using bar codes and a computer than tally charts), and goods need to be accessible and stored safely and securely.

One in 16 people work in logistics, and the industry will need half a million more workers in the next 10 years. It's a vital sector and your skills should land you a secure job.

What qualities do I need?

be able to drive
have good organisational skills
be physically fit
follow instructions well
work as part of a team and on your own
have good numeracy skills
be a good time-keeper
understand health and safety issues
solve problems that occur

Vital Statistics

Stamp Hours: Logistics is a 24/7 operation, so could involve long hours and unsociable shifts - but many people enjoy the flexibility this gives them.

Environment: Although some roles are office-based, you're more likely to be in a lorry cab or on the warehouse floor. Heavy lifting may be involved.

Location: Logistics jobs are available everywhere. A lot of roles involve travelling, including overseas.

Apprenticeships in this sector

These are the Apprenticeships currently available in this sector. For more information and for details of the Apprenticeship framework, contact the Sector Skills Council listed after each.