If you're unemployed there are three industries currently crying out for workers to fill hundreds if not thousands of vacancies, including the logistics, meat-processing and hospitality sectors.
They are suffering from a shortage of staff thanks to a perfect storm.
This includes Brexit, a clampdown on immigration, backlogs in training due to the pandemic, lack of funding in training and apprenticeships, lack of experienced, available staff and changes in taxation rules, particularity around IR35.
According to reports and industry experts, the lack of willing new workers in these three sectors could result in food shortages, a spike in food inflation and a hike in the cost of dining out.
The HGV driver shortage has hit catastrophic levels and now more than 100,000 vacancies need to be filled
Lorry driver shortage
The UK HGV driver shortage has hit catastrophic levels with unfilled vacancies rising above 100,000.
It's been reported that Tesco has had to bin nearly 50 tonnes of food each week due to the driver shortage.
What's more waste and recycling refuse collections have been postponed in certain areas as councils scramble to reschedule waste pick ups and issue fines.
The problem is said to have become so bad that a letter has been penned to the Prime Minister by various business groups to raise concerns about the driver shortage and the lack of an 'immediate plan' by government to help the industry.
Signatories of the letter include the Food and Drink Federation, British Frozen Food Federation, Federation of Wholesale Distributors, Cold Chain Federation, Meat Producers Association and the British Beer and Pub Association.
The industry is also struggling with a shortage because of driver's license testing backlog due to the pandemic.
Nearly 30,000 HGV driver tests were cancelled due the social distancing restrictions, and many have also exited the industry as they were close to retirement or were vulnerable to Covid.
Andy Scott, chairman of REL Transport Group says that IR35 has put off many European workers from working in the UK.
In the years before Covid there has always been a shortage of around 60,000 lorry drivers but the shortage has been exacerbated to 100,000 vacancies by the pandemic, Brexit and the introduction of IR35.
Andy Scott, chairman of REL Transport Group which owns FTS Transport, says: 'IR35 came in April, where Ltd company drivers had to be employed.
'Many drivers worked for years being responsible for their own tax, after April if they had to be employed, in their mind they were getting 20 per cent less, so just left to go back to Eastern Europe where a lot of the drivers are from as they could get more there now.
He adds: 'Generally haulage is a low margin business, a driver has to pay £2,000-3,000 to get qualified, and working unsocial hours getting paid £10-12 per hour is not ideal, they say they would rather stack shelves for £10 per hour.
'What we are seeing now is chronic shortages and drivers can name their own prices from £12-20 per hour sometimes. And it just has to be pushed onto the customer who's going to start not getting their goods moved if this carries on.'
While many are appealing to the government for help, logistics companies are trying to do their bit in enticing people to the industry.
XPO Logistics for instance has embarked on a huge recruitment campaign targeting ex-service personnel specifically to address the recruitment challenges of finding drivers.
The company, which is a significant UK and Ireland employer and works for clients like Mercedes-Benz, Nestlé and British Gypsum, wants ex-service people who have HGV skills (perhaps they used to drive a tank or armoured vehicle) or want to get an HGV licence to join the business and get the necessary training.
XPO Logistics says they have over 400 jobs available across the UK, from Devon to Scotland.
Dan Myers, managing director, transport – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics, said, 'Diversity and inclusion make XPO a better company, which is why we welcome colleagues from all walks of life.
'From our experience, veterans make great employees. They have a strong work ethic and have been trained in technical and leadership skills. They understand teamwork, and they're adaptable. Bottom line – hiring veterans is good for business.'
Schemes like Road to Logistics are also keen on addressing the driver shortage.
Jennifer Swain, head of talent and operations at Road to Logistics, says they're trying to transform an industry that's traditionally employed older white males.
She says: 'We reach out to those who would normally face barriers to employment and give them free training not only to help the industry with the shortage and also to help those more vulnerable to get back to work.
'This includes ex-offenders, long term unemployed, people living in areas of poverty or those living off the minimum wage or on zero hours contract. I also want to reach out to women and black, Asian and minority ethnic groups to offer this as a career choice.'
Swain says that job seekers, once qualified, can expect to start on salaries of around £26,000 - £28,000 a year.
She adds: 'For long haul tramping jobs you can earn as much as £50,000 a year. There's a great salary range on offer, depending on what you want to do.'
Government failing the meat packing industry?
The meat industry worker shortfall has pushed them to appeal for governmental support.
Brexit and immigration clamp downs have been one of the many reasons why the industry is crying out for workers.
Earlier this year, Nick Allen chief executive of The British Meat Processors Association said: 'Currently, not enough British people come forward to work in meat plants, which means the shortfall in staff has to be filled by overseas workers.
'They have traditionally come from the EU and make up between 50-80 per cent of the workforce in meat plants.
'From now onwards, as a result of Brexit, we're facing an exodus of our EU staff who will leave behind a big gap in the productive capacity of Britain's meat processing industry. And government has just made it doubly difficult to plug that gap.'
It's companies like ABP Food Group, Cranswick, Dunbia, and Karrow Food Group that are looking to fill roles. According to the BMPA, larger players have staff shortages sitting at around 10 per cent of the workforce.
Allen says: 'The industry is doing a lot to recruit new workers from advertising on jobs platforms, to local job centres, colleges, career fairs to spreading info about vacancies through word of mouth.
'Most companies also run graduate programmes and apprenticeship schemes.
'Even if you have no qualifications you can enter as an unskilled worker. If you show promise you can be developed internally and learn various skills on the job.'
The industry is in need of varying skill sets and has a diverse set of vacancies to fill – anything from butchers, trimmers, slaughter operatives to quality controllers, packing operators or employees keen on working in human resources, security and cleaning.
Job seekers can expect salaries from £17,000 to £35,000 a year, depending on the experience they have.
EU workers have traditionally made up between 50-80% of the meat processing workforce
Hospitality needs you too...
The hospitality industry is suffering a shortfall of around 30 per cent of its work force.
As with the meat processing and logistics sector they are crying out for people to fill vacancies as those that traditionally worked in the industry (European workers) have been put off working in the UK because of Brexit.
The desperation to fill roles has however opened up more opportunities for jobs seekers looking to progress speedily up the career ladder and get well-paying work.
Some are even going to extreme measures to entice British workers to the industry. Restaurant group, Hawksmoor, for instance is offering a £2,000 bonus to workers who recommend friends to fill roles.
Some restaurants in the hospitality industry have resorted to offering some unusual incentives to get more people to work in the industry
Such is the need for workers that it's not uncommon for the hospitality industry to hire unskilled workers.
Andy Ingham senior vice president at Bullhorn, which provides software to the recruitment industry, says: 'From an employer's perspective, it's better to hire on potential and train them than to leave a role empty indefinitely.
'Hoping that the skills shortage will end, and the perfect candidate will appear is often much riskier than investing time in training someone with the right soft skills up to do the job.'
While the industry is struggling to lose the image of one that offers poor pay and long hours, recruiters point out that this is changing due to the shortfall.
Job seekers can expect to earn £22,000 for entry level roles and earn as much as £60,000 in certain restaurant manager roles.
Polishing a tarnished image
Brexit, the pandemic and tax changes are not the reasons why various sectors are struggling to attract British workers.
The meat packing, hospitality and lorry driving industry has long had an image problem and all three industries have found this hard to shake off.
This is because in the UK these sectors are known for their long hours, unfriendly working conditions and in most cases, poor pay. Many are also put off by how they are treated by members of the public.
The hospitality, logistics and meat processing sectors need to do much to improve their image before they can hire more British workers
Finding funding for training is another issue that some sectors have had to deal with.
With the trucking industry it's become very expensive to get qualified as a lorry driver – with costs averaging £7,000.
Companies have increasingly refused to pay this as they often find workers leaving for better paying jobs elsewhere after getting qualified.
Rod McKenzie, managing director of policy at the Road Haulage Association, says: 'People feel this is an unglamorous job and here in the UK we're also much less respectful of the profession than they are in Europe and in America.
'There's an anti-lorry mentality but what Britain forgets is that 90 per cent of the food we get is transported by lorries.
'Women are also putt off entering the industry because of poor parking, poor access to toilets, poor security and overnight stays.'
He adds: 'We are facing a critical issue and is not something that can be swept under the carpet. We are heading for as serious breakdown in supply chain and need to act now.'
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMigwFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGlzaXNtb25leS5jby51ay9tb25leS9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtOTcyMjM3OS9UaGVyZXMtam9icy1ob2xlLWhvc3BpdGFsaXR5LWxvZ2lzdGljcy1tZWF0LWZhY3Rvcmllcy13b3JrZXItc2hvcnRhZ2UuaHRtbNIBhwFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGlzaXNtb25leS5jby51ay9tb25leS9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtOTcyMjM3OS9hbXAvVGhlcmVzLWpvYnMtaG9sZS1ob3NwaXRhbGl0eS1sb2dpc3RpY3MtbWVhdC1mYWN0b3JpZXMtd29ya2VyLXNob3J0YWdlLmh0bWw?oc=5
2021-06-26 07:18:01Z
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