Freeport East is funding a new Road to Logistics training and employment programme for people in Harwich, Clacton and the wider Tendring area. The programme is intended to prepare more than 30 learners for work in transport, logistics and warehousing.
Around two-thirds of the group are expected to follow HGV driving routes. The remainder will work towards warehouse and forklift roles. The programme follows an earlier Freeport East pilot in Felixstowe that supported people facing barriers to employment.
The Felixstowe pilot
Freeport East said eight learners from the Felixstowe scheme gained HGV C+E licences and moved into work. The announcement named XPO, The Range, Maritime Transport and the Port of Felixstowe among the organisations that employed participants.
The programme combined driver training with employability support and information about the responsibilities of professional driving. Road to Logistics later established an HGV driver training academy with Suffolk New College.
A Felixstowe News report on the Freeport East Road to Logistics pilot provides further detail on the Tendring programme and the Felixstowe outcomes.
Training for HGV and warehouse roles
The new programme is due to include HGV Cat C and C+E routes alongside warehouse and forklift pathways. Freeport East said its first information, guidance and awareness session was scheduled for early October at the Harwich Innovation Hub, with a focus on warehouse work and career options.
Employers are being asked to share vacancies, explain the skills and behaviour they expect from new starters, meet learners or offer interviews. The aim is to give participants a clearer view of the workplace before they complete their training.
Road to Logistics figures
Road to Logistics said it has supported more than 750 unemployed people through training and employment support since 2020. It reports that 89 per cent of participants have entered work and that 94 per cent remained in work after 12 months. Those are the organisation's own figures.
The organisation also said its work helping unemployed people into HGV roles had created almost £3 million of social value, equivalent to a reported £6.50 for every £1 invested. Freeport East said the Tendring programme is intended to address recruitment pressure in HGV driving and warehousing while opening routes into work for local residents.
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