Students met with some of Teesside’s leading figures in logistics today to learn more about the opportunities that exist in the industry.

The workshop was part of a new Logistics Academy, an initiative aimed at raising awareness of the industry and encouraging more young people to consider future careers in the sector.

The Academy has been put together by Stockton Riverside College in partnership with NETA Training Trust, Think Logistics, national charity Career Ready, with PD Portcentric Logistics’ Jim French at the helm.

Jim said: “The demographic profile of those currently working in the industry means that within the next 15 years 50% will have retired.

“As an industry we need to start engaging more young people and showing the many exciting and varied careers that exist.”

Nationally the logistics industry needs to recruit around 450,000 new workers in the next five years, yet many people are unaware of what the sector even involves.



The Academy aims to help tackle such issues by offering its students a broad introduction to logistics alongside their full-time study programme. With the backing of many local businesses,



the students will get support and mentoring from some of the industry’s leaders in the region along with master classes and work placement opportunities.

The first Academy meeting for students wanting to get involved today saw around 25 young people come together at SRC Bede Sixth Form, along with representatives from the likes of PD Portcentric Logistics, Devereux, NETA, Tees Valley Unlimited and Think Logistics.

Devereux’s Commercial Manager, Chris Pickles, said: “The point is to get people to understand that working in logistics can be a career-choice rather than just a job.”

Think Logistics’ Project Manager Neil Caldwell added: “We have an aging population in the industry and yet it is a growth sector. We need to raise awareness and let young people know that there are a huge range of career opportunities. Logistics can offer a career for life.”