The Road to Zero - Lead the way in logistics and transport

As the logistics and transport industry is rising to the challenge of coronavirus with flexibility and resilience, it seems apt that the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport opted to move its annual conference online this year.

The two-day virtual event – based around the Government’s Road to Zero strategy - brought together leading minds from the profession to discuss the role of the transport and logistics industry in creating solutions to climate change.

In particular, industry experts discussed how individual and organisational choices - to implement change and set a precedent within the profession - could be the key to a cleaner, greener future.

As main sponsors of the conference, The Open University (OU) was delighted to support this objective, and keen to learn how the OU could help the industry to achieve it.

Liz Hanway, the OU’s transport and logistics sector specialist, attended the conference to find out more.

The Road to Zero… a challenging target

The Government’s Road to Zero strategy seeks to expand green infrastructure across the country, reduce emissions from vehicles on the UK’s roads, and drive the uptake of zero emission cars, vans and trucks.

This will require the transport and logistics industry to plan and deliver innovative strategies to meet Government targets by 2050.

In addition to this already ambitious agenda, Coronavirus has compounded the challenges facing the sector recently. Logistics and transport businesses have been integral to the continuity of essential services, responding to the crisis with professionalism and agility.

As highlighted by conference speaker, Will Higham from Next Big Thing, the “future isn’t going to be clear, but it is going to be different”.

In a business landscape where uncertainty is perhaps the only certainty, the success of the sector will depend on strong leaders; people who are able to plan proactively and respond reactively in a challenging and unpredictable environment.

The future leaders of logistics 

But how can businesses future-proof their leadership and build teams that are equipped to tackle these challenges?

Last year’s Open University Business Barometer found that 35% of businesses say that they are concerned about the lack of suitable staff to fulfil management roles and 32% leadership roles. Hiring skilled managers and leaders is competitive and costly, especially in sectors where specialist knowledge is key to the role.

In response to this senior-level skills gap, many organisations are choosing to ‘grow their own’ talent through in-work management training.

In-work training allows businesses to retain and benefit from the expertise their staff have developed ‘on the shop floor’, whilst upskilling them to operate at a more strategic level.

Leadership training for transport professionals

For 30 years The Open University Business School has been developing future leaders worldwide, including in the logistics and transport sector.

We have delivered:

• Our triple-accredited MBA programme to senior leaders at Ethiopian Airlines
• Management apprenticeships for current staff at Network Rail
• Management skills to school leavers at DHL

Find out more about the Business School's reputation and rankings.

We can support you to develop your future leaders in various ways: from bespoke courses tailored to your business needs, to our Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship and our Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship qualification (SLMDA).

Why choose The Open University?

Over 2,400 organisations choose the OU to deliver workplace learning, and an impressive 77 of the FTSE 100 have sponsored staff on OU programmes, so you’ll be in good company.

We have over 50 years’ experience of delivering education flexibly for busy professionals, bringing learning to the learner, and delivering benefits to their business.  

By minimising the time needed away from the workplace, the OU’s in-work delivery model fits around the needs of the employer and the employee.

It equips learners with new skills and knowledge they can apply immediately to the workplace, meaning businesses benefit from their new skills and increased confidence straight away.

Thanks to the OU’s flexible and adaptable approach, our training courses can be delivered at scale, across geographically dispersed workforces, which is perfect for multi-site businesses who want reliable training outcomes for staff.    

After the CILT conference, I am even more excited by the opportunity we have to work with the industry. We can support transport and logistics businesses to develop future leaders who are going to help them rise to the challenge of climate change, meet Road to Zero targets, and keep Britain moving whatever the future throws at it.

Liz Hanway
The OU’s transport and logistics Sector SpecialistConnect via LinkedIn

If you’d like to discuss how the OU can support your organisational training needs, please get in touch.

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