Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) says potential recruits in the UK able to deal with its enormous supply challenges are “not readily available,” although the automaker was in a more favourable position than component manufacturers.
Addressing delegates at the Automotive Supply Chain Magazine’s 2013 Congress at Silverstone last week, JLR inbound logistics manager, Alan Jeory, noted the shortage of British recruits had led the automaker to look abroad.
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“It is about calibre of people,” he said. “People able to handle huge supply chain solutions and they are not readily available. It is very difficult and challenging to distinguish which candidates have these abilities. We are recruiting from Turkey [for example].
“We are an attractive company to work for, but there is a lot of competition. We are sure suppliers must be even more distressed going through that process.”
Continuing the recruitment theme at the Congress, ECM Vehicle Delivery Service managing director, Ray MacDowall, highlighted the potential risk to the supply chain of finding suitable recruits as the UK economy gradually improves.
“The last survey conducted stated the average driver age was 48, so so you can understand that is not going to improve,” MacDowall told the Congress. “There are no young people coming through into the profession.
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By GlobalData“It is seen by young people as a job almost being employed as a tramp sleeping in a cab, being away from family and friends all week. That is a challenge to the industry.
“It [driver shortage] could well change the face of the supply chain because drivers will no longer be prepared to stay out and sleep in the cab, Monday to Friday.”
Motors and fans supplier, Ebm-papst, urged the UK government at the Congress to take a lead in improving qualification standards.
“From the government side, I think they have got to be bold,” said Ebm-papst managing director, Gareth Jones. “You have to say you are not qualified as an engineer unless you have completed Level 3 or [are] a graduate.
“I can’t go on a three-hour St John’s first aid course and call myself a nurse. If they [government] set a benchmark, parents could be more likely to encourage their children to go into engineering.”
