Paul Brooks, sales director at Unipart Logistics, has been appointed the new chairman of the sector skills council for the freight logistics industry, Skills for Logistics. Brooks succeeds Andrew Callaghan, who had held the position since July 2003. David Morton from Menzies Distribution has been appointed vice-chairman.
Brooks said: "I am delighted to be filling this role at such an exciting moment – the Government has just renewed Skills for Logistics’ licence to operate and, as the economy recovers from recession, it is so important that our sector is able to attract and train the highest quality of new recruits as well as maximising the efficiency of our current workforce. I look forward to challenging both our sector and those who invest in it to become world class in skill levels logistics. It is the industry without which almost no other could work! We remain less well regarded by the public and our potential workforce, including school and university leavers, than we should be and I am determined that we will make progress with this in the near future."
Skills for Logistics has also appointed a new management board:
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Paul Brooks, chairman – Unipart
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David Morton, deputy chairman – Menzies Distribution
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Robert Bartup – GB Liners
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Perry Glading – Forth Ports
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Andy Lawrence – Maxim
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Robert Monks – United Road Transport Union
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Ron Webb – Transport and General Workers Union
The organisation is also reorganising the way in which it consults with the industry by the formation of a National Advisory Council. The council will include representatives appointed on both a geographical spread as well as representational of specific sectors throughout logistics. SfL chief executive Dr Mick Jackson says: "The creation of the new National Advisory Council will allow us to formulate policy, identify needs, and provide solutions, both local and national, general and specific."
Details of membership of the National Advisory Council will be published soon.
