Company Name: Unipart Logistics
Number of employees: 4100
Core area of business: Third Party Logistics,Warehousing
Supply Chain: Automotive, Technology, Retail,Aerospace & Defence
Public Qualifications: Apprenticeships
The Business Challenge
Unipart Logistics was looking to find ways of ‘future proofing’ its workforce. Dealing with issues such as recruitment, retention and the development of a talented workforce was seen as vital to ensure that the organisation could remain a force to be reckoned with in such a competitive industry sector. In 2004 the Unipart Logistics Operating Committee identified a real need to focus on the long term resourcing challenges and was seeking out a solution to develop its leaders of the future.
The Solution
As far as the Operating Committee was concerned an Apprenticeship scheme would provide a solution to these issues. Apprenticeships could help the business tap into a recruitment pool with future potential that could be developed and moulded using the ‘Unipart Way’ - company techniques and tools developed to ensure the smooth running of the business. Apprentices would be recruited alongside the business’ other ‘emerging talent’ recruitment activities (including graduate and student placement schemes), in order to develop its future management teams.
The Apprenticeship scheme is a four year programme with the first two years spent immersed in three different areas of the business - warehousing & distribution, business & administration, and customer services. Whilst carrying out placements individuals complete a Level 2 National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in each of these areas. At the end of the two years Apprentices are asked to specialise in a specific area of the business and will undertake a Level 3 NVQ to support the chosen discipline. Unipart Logistics see Apprenticeships as an integral part of developing its workforce. The company currently has 17 Apprentices across three of its sites – with the hope that they will become future leaders of the business.
The Results
- The retention rate for Apprentices has significantly improved from 50% since Unipart’s first year of recruiting to a current retention rate of 99%
- The absenteeism rate for Apprentices is less than 2% compared to 5% across the company as a whole
- The scheme has the buy in from both employees and managers at all Unipart sites. Managers now understand these Apprenticeships will help to deliver the leaders of the future, initially in junior management, where there is potentially a shortage
- Five of its Apprentices are now in their final year of the scheme. They are all on target to meet their career aspirations and are working towards a certificate in their chosen placement (e.g. Certificate in Personnel Practice, Certificate in Marketing, ILM in First Line Management, AAT)
