Attracting engineering talent into warehousing

The rise of automation is transforming workforce needs in warehousing, requiring more technical skills. While companies like Amazon seek tech-savvy engineers, warehousing careers often go unnoticed: the word logistics is completely absent from our National Curriculum so aspiring engineers have probably never heard it. The UK Warehousing Association aims to bridge this gap by promoting careers in the sector, highlighting automation and robotics. Partnering with existing programmes from the Royal Academy of Engineering and Generation Logistics, UKWA is working to attract diverse engineering and logistics graduates.

Our series of warehouse visits for students kicked off in January at Jungheinrich, an Associate Member of UKWA specialising in material handling and intralogistics solutions. Host Kevin Barber explained that their state-of-the-art facility in Warrington is the perfect venue to showcase the wide range of battery-powered forklift trucks as well as racking and more. The students benefitted from seeing a wide range of equipment which is assembled and maintained right here in the UK. For the past eight years, Victoria Burston has led the company’s apprenticeship programme and overseen a step-change in the profile of their workforce. Getting a ride in the ‘man up’ was a highlight for many of the young people!

Maintenance provider ARMS is working with the John Lewis Partnership, to squeeze as much value as possible from the automated warehouse systems installed when JLP opened their first 650,000 sq ft site adjacent to the M1 near Milton Keynes nearly 20 years ago. At the time, it was the largest logistics project the retailer had ever undertaken. The Magna Park complex now boasts over two million sq ft of space, and DC Manager Andy Furr says it is the company’s flagship – perhaps more so than any of their stores! Since the pandemic, online retail has accounted for more than half of sales: both ecommerce and retail outlets are served here and students were amazed by the scale of the automated operations.

Automation has been used by Wincanton for decades too, at their Lutterworth site, a dedicated national distribution centre for a key soft drinks client. In a recent project, many elements including cranes and STV shuttles were refurbished or upgraded. Students learnt why faster accumulation is so important to maintain productivity for these fast-moving consumer goods and heard about the importance of developing both theoretical and practical engineering skills. Young people from across the business shared their own inspiring career journeys.

This initiative benefits both students and the industry, raising awareness of logistics as a high-tech, rewarding career path for future engineers. Several further visits are already planned, to showcase even more warehouse automation and attract the brightest and best graduates into our sector.

Clare Bottle

UKWA, CEOThe post Attracting engineering talent into warehousing first appeared on Warehouse & Logistics News.