Cramlington logistics boss warns of 'severe consequences' for the sector amid vehicle technician shortage

Caroline Moody, the managing director of Moody Logistics and Storage, wrote to the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships, and Higher Education, Robert Halfon, to say more needs to be done to address an ongoing shortage of vehicle technicians.

The Cramlington firm and its sister vehicle repairs company Heathline Commercials are struggling to recruit qualified vehicle technicians and have found the current apprenticeship on offer is also making it difficult to recruit trainees.

The letter said: “Several factors contribute to this shortage, including a declining interest among school leavers in technical trades and the lengthy four-year qualification period for vehicle technicians.

“Attracting individuals to technical roles has proven more challenging because existing vehicle technician courses lack flexibility and fail to distinguish between individuals entering the field directly from school and those transitioning from other careers.

“To address this crisis, we propose the creation of more flexible and tailored training programmes that accommodate individuals with higher levels of mechanical knowledge and experience.

“This approach would allow for a shorter qualification period and attract individuals who could bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.”

According to Caroline, the shortage of trained workers will have “severe consequences” for the industry, and could lead to vans and lorries being forced off the road, hurting the UK economy.

In the letter, she said: “Rectifying this shortage requires a concerted effort, including increased government investment in retraining programmes for older workers and a re-evaluation of the perception surrounding vocational and technical education.

“We urge you to consider the importance of this matter and take proactive steps to address the apprenticeship crisis in the logistics sector.”

The Department for Education has been approached for comment.