Road Safety Week

The IOC encourages Fellows to engage with Road Safety week  Nov 19th to 23rd. Search the website for further details.  www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk

Road Safety Week is organised by Brake, the road safety charity, t is a community event open to all, with thousands of participants including schools, companies, emergency services, and community groups. Media launches and community events take place across the UK during the Week. The Institute of Couriers encourages logistics companies and Fellows to log onto the web and show their support for road safety at www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk

Transport Minister Stephen Hammond /Military Work placement scheme launch

 'It's a recruitment supply chain' - 'It's a step in the solution to the driver shortage'

Trade press reporting a million pounds of funding for service personnel leaving the forces to be engaged into the logistics industry. The Imperial war Museum doors opened by the Logistics Guild and young military cadets escorted the logistics industry to a highly motivating address by the transport minister Stephen Hammond MP.

Minister Stephen Hammond, 'truck,warehouse or courier, the scheme is a way forward'

Introductions by Skills for Logistics Dr Mick JacksonFIoC. The scheme will fund one thousand ex-service personnel from across the forces into logistics. Funded by the Employer Investment fund military will be guaranteed two weeks of work experience in the civilian logistics sector and be guaranteed a job interview. 'It's a recruitment supply chain' Those leaving the military will be given a helping hand into the civilian logistics industry.

Lt Colonel Steve Lonnen spoke for the candidates leaving military service, 'almost every individual will have been through driving courses at Leconfield, they will have discipline, respect, loyalty, integrity and commitment, give them a chance to shine.'

John Hettrick senior Vice president for Kuehne & Nagel spoke for the civilian logistics sector, 'There is something right and correct about supporting service personnel, K&N are committed to this scheme.'

Peter Murphy for the Logistics Guild explained the detail and focused attention to the stairway map matching skills to experience and job engagement. He explained the very first candidates were in job role at GIST, the new comers would all be members of the Guild and indeed everyone in transport in the room would be recognised themselves as Guild, 'this would be a bank of recruitment to aid the driver shortage.'

Paul Brooks, chair of Skills for Logistics hosted a Q&A. Group Captain Keith Spencer in charge of military resettlement assured the message of logistics jobs was in military minds.

A who's who of industry networking followed, Charlotte Russell was on hand to talk about the schemes first candidates at GIST, Brig Alistair Deas and navy logistics, Commodore Mick Bullock were on hand. Alistair Cochrane head of TNT Europe supported the scheme. DHL head of driver training Pierre de Carteret had a clear vision of stairway progression for the driver workforce, Carl Lomas IOC chair & Patrick Henry of K&N supported the vision. Clarity of support was in from Stobbart and UPS. Chair's of the National skills academy, the skills council, Skills for Logistics and Logistics Guild all present and in full support.

The industry clearly welcomed this recruitment supply chain as a solution to driver shortage.

Tens of thousands of vehicles were a 'yes vote.'

Fellows of the IoC met with government to listen and debate the opportunity of raising the apprenticship age to 18 for full funding. At the moment many apprenticeships start and are fully funded for 16 year olds, the funding thins down at 18 when those in transport are just accessing their first licence.

Rob Osbourne FIoC (middle) CitySprint, Len Rainford FFIoC (right) Sameday UK along with John Lawson DHL (left).

The driver licence requirement set at 18 excludes such apprenticeship take up. A wide body of employers voted yes to recognise the need for 18 plus apprenticeships and govt funding.  Employers from Stobart, DHL, K&N, Wincanton, Bibby, Citysprint, Sameday UK & APC to name but a few were on hand as guests of System Training and Stobbart at the Widnes truck academy. Michael Hacock is the new skills minister for BIS, David Simpson spoke for BIS 'we need evidence to move the funding age up for driving apprentices, we need employers to feed the skills council with data to show need.' Mathew Fletcher speaking for NAS 'care is another sector who employ key staff age 18 plus but we do recognise driving jobs have a unique factor with the age need set at 18 for licence'

The big NEC bike show countdown is on! Nov 24th  to Dec 2nd

Steve Parrish, motorsport legend and commentator

The beauty of Motorcycle Live is that you've got everything there. Whatever you want to find  it's a one-stop biking shop, plus the entertainment is absolutely exquisite!

The countdown to the UK's biggest bike show at the NEC Birmingham is officially on! Advance tickets for Motorcycle Live 2012 are on sale now, costing sixteen quid an adult. Ticket includes entry into the stunt display in the Ramp'd Up Freestyle Motocross Arena which itself is a must see balance show of sky high antics on two wheels that defies gravity.

Motorcycle Live 2012 takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from 24 November to 2 December and promises to be a great day out for all ages and for bikers and non-bikers alike. As the thousands of happy visitors have come to expect, the show also boasts all the major motorcycle manufacturers as well as a daily dose of famous faces and legendary racers to keep the crowds entertained. But don't take our word for it - here is what the visitors to Motorcycle Live 2011 (and a couple of well-known faces) had to say

IOC is supporting Road Safety Week 2012  Theme 'lower speeds = happy people'

November 19 to 25 and we are urging our members and Fellows to do the same.

Road Safety Week run by the charity Brake is an annual event that aims to raise awareness of road safety and to support the victims of road traffic accidents.

This year, the theme is Slower Speeds = Happy People .

Worryingly, deaths resulting from road traffic accidents rose by 3% in 2011. This was the first increase for almost a decade. What's particularly disturbing is that the biggest rise in deaths has been amongst pedestrians. That's why Brake has chosen 'Slower Speeds = Happy People' as the theme for this year's Road Safety Week. The aim is to raise awareness of speed when driving near schools, shops or in any residential area and to ask people to limit their speed to 20mph when travelling in these areas.